Robinson in Space (1997)

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Truly a disgrace to the film industry. I am disappointed to have seen it, and I consider it to be the worst film I have ever viewed. Yes, I have also seen Transformers. Patrick Keiller's "Robinson in Space" is more or less a dully narrated, almost stream of consciousness, that could have come from a novel. A novel, as it were, written in journal form of one man's trek across England with his friend, Robinson. No characters are presented, no actors, nothing of particular interest other than simple, usually stationary, shots of landscape, buildings, and a few leaves. Usually, a connection can be made between the shot presented and the narrator's words, although this is not always the case. I have forgotten the plot, if there ever was one, as well as the ending, or why the narrator and Robinson were ever in England to begin with. I am afraid the point has lost me entirely, and the film seemed painfully long. The occasional panning shot was much like a breath of fresh air to a drowning man, and the film as a whole has given me a new appreciation for watching grass grow. In this respect, I thank the director deeply. I am told that the film reflects on the industrial state of England and the decline of employment. For the sake of those represented, I hope a better film has been made in their defense. Save yourself the effort, and if anyone offers you this film, throw it back at them - hard.

In sort of the tradition of Sans Soleil, a narrator and a mysterious, unshown character wander around London searching for what they already expect to find: lack of absolution and a post-modern depression. There's more of a narrative thread in this one than Chris Marker's epic travelogue, but many of the concerns are the same: the way space, time, memory, history, and geography are collapsed and immutable when viewed from the perspective of an erring camera. Robinson wants to be a spy, but James Bond is a Western fiction more disturbing than its happy endings. They want to visit Sherlock forest, but it's closed off by private property. Most architecture (Keiller is an architect) and photography is extremely rectilinear, and nowhere the two characters stay are very comfortable. Such speaks to the isolation of a spectator of London, a space not built linearly or really quite as open to tourism as other large city centers.The story here is quite blink-and-you'll-miss-it. Robinson in Space is a visual essay that is familiar with academia and theory, and yet I've read too many responses to this that complain about it being an insufficient tour guide. Be aware that this is not a map of London (in the theoretical sense), but a deconstruction of it. People interested in discovering more about the mainstream culture and history of London are better off renting something else.--PolarisDiB

this is one of the most rewarding films i have ever had the pleasure to watch [and watch regularly]. like London [its predecessor], we see no one other than those who just happen to be there, but linger on aspects of england that are dissected in the most erudite, humorous way, whilst also being politically and sociologically aware. wish i wasn't so sleepy writing this, as i'd like to do this work of genius more justice. these words are not enough by a long chalk.is a 'robinson in [either] Scotland' or 'wales' europe] a likely possibility? need sleep so will stop. as yet, these films are only available on VHS. a DVD is most overdue - perhaps as a double including both films.

Robinson in Space is a contemporary interpretation of the wanderings of Daniel Defoe around Britain. Robinson and his Companion travel around to places of industrial note, both past and present. In this sense it is travelogue, but it is so much more.The Commentary notes major developments in the country, and makes dry comment on the state of the nation and its Industry. This film visits both the empty Warehouses of Manchester and the New factories of the Midlands. It can almost be regarded as an essay on Britain in the mid 1990's.Many have described this film as egocentric and boring, and I can see why. It is shot almost entirely as stills, there is no acting, and there are no characters beyond the commentary. However to me this was a refreshing piece of film making. It was incredibly well observed, and comes pretty close to defining what it is to live in this country. I suspect, however, that for anyone who lives outside the UK this will just be boring, you have to be able to relate to the places on the screen.However, if this appeals even slightly take the opportunity to see this film, before its forgotten. I loved it, and I will never forget it.