In what could have been a very interesting exploration of Pica, the psychological disorder, the writers chose to tack in some arbitrary larger causation ark and it simply did not work.
The performances were great, all around, the visual style and pace aren't the problem either.
Unfortunately the characters are one-dimensional caricatures who are not explored enough to justify the actions of themselves or the lead. In the end, the curiosity of the main theme is played down to focus on an apparent moral message.
It's great when movies have a message, but when they fake it, it undermines the whole experience. In this case it appears they had no idea what they were trying to communicate and this leaves you feeling very cheated. More so than if they had simply presented a stylised series of unconnected events.
Unfortunately the characters are one-dimensional caricatures who are not explored enough to justify the actions of themselves or the lead. In the end, the curiosity of the main theme is played down to focus on an apparent moral message.
It's great when movies have a message, but when they fake it, it undermines the whole experience. In this case it appears they had no idea what they were trying to communicate and this leaves you feeling very cheated. More so than if they had simply presented a stylised series of unconnected events.