Objectified
Objectified
NR | 22 May 2009 (USA)
Objectified Trailers

A feature-length documentary about our complex relationship with manufactured objects and, by extension, the people who design them.

Reviews
Matrixiole

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

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Robert Joyner

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

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Guillelmina

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

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Phillida

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

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salesinfo

I thought this was a brilliant documentary on design. I have been a software designer for decades and appreciated the professionalism and abilities of those interviewed. I must admit that I learned a bit about design as well - some ideas were totally new to me. I believe someone who does not do design for a living would find it interesting as well. It would help people appreciate why a good design is a good design and understand a little bit more about what the people who do good designs are like. Watching the film made me think about what good design was and gave me a greater appreciation for things I like. It also gave me some ideas on how to challenge some of the designs I do.Besides being a good learning film, I just found it enjoyable.Highly recommend.

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droidonthemoon

First off, just to let you know, I'm a designer. I say that because it may mean that I have more interest in the subject than most. Objectified however really points to the fact that we are ALL interested in this stuff. Far more than most consciously realize, and for those who do, probably more than we care to admit.Gary Hustwit's previous, "Helvetica" is on my rack and gets viewed probably about once a year. It's just that kinda documentary. Objectified is, in my 'subjectified' opinion, not quite so good, not quite as thoroughly followed through but Hustwit remains one of my favorite documentarians.Objectified is certainly engaging enough to pull you into the designing backstage of our world; the depth of thinking that goes behind much of what we take for granted. If you like "stuff" you'll like this movie. Even if you don't particularly care, then I still recommend it. Hustwit is again able to show just how powerful a pull we give to the things around us, what goes into them, and what we get out. You may find you care a lot more than you think you do. We really have a materialistic mindset and this is a good first step to seeing it clearly ... and maybe finding a way out.

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bob the moo

I should give this film credit for what it does because, on the face of it, I have to be honest and say that when I started watching this I did so with a certain air of "why am I wasting 90 minutes of my time on a subject that holds little interest for me". You must agree that, to the casual viewer (which I am), a documentary on the nature of design is rather loose and perhaps lacks a real hook to get the punters in the door. This was my attitude at the start and I mention this because mostly I found the film to be engaging and interesting. This is mostly down to the way the film is pulled together (appropriately enough) because it has a real structure and rhythm to it that just works.Some sections work better than others though. Anything to do with Apple is most accessible because we are all familiar with the brand as a thing of beauty and easy use and it makes the conversations around this easy to follow. Conversely the sections with the toothbrush is less so because the work being shown does not appear to be necessary or be going anywhere. Although there are some exceptions, everyone involved in the film is intelligent, well-spoken, clear and easy to listen to. There are a couple of slightly pretentious "design types" that rubbed me up the wrong way with their attitudes but otherwise I found it easy to spend time in the company of the contributors.Ultimately the film doesn't quite provide the level of insight or passion that one might have hoped but it does engage across the admittedly quite short running time. The subject is well presented, made accessible and, as much as possible, tangible. Could have been better with more insight but for what it is it is accessible and engaging.

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brayneded31

Well edited and composed, Objectified is neither groundbreaking nor earth-shatteringly enlightening, but it holds the interest of the audience. The transitions from subject to subject and interview to interview are smooth and unobtrusive, and the content of the documentary is interesting and cool. Form really does follow function in terms of the composition of this film, but given that it deals with the means by which design integrates itself seamlessly into our experience, the lack of bold choices becomes pertinent and is therefore less troublesome. If one is to be generous, it could even be supposed that this kind of difficult-to-notice editing is some kind of implicit statement of philosophy with regards to the role of design in the life of the individual.An interesting film. Worth seeing.

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