"The Hummingbird Project" Movie Review
16 milliseconds might not seem like a significant amount of time, but in The Hummingbird Project, cousins Vincent and Anton, played by Jesse Eisenberg and Alexander Skarsgård, task themselves with reducing round-trip communication between Kansas and the stock exchange from 17 milliseconds to 16. They embark on accomplishing this by digging a tunnel for a fiber cable between the two locations.
Sound daunting? Well it is, but so is bringing this story to the big screen. Director Kim Nguyen ambitiously takes on the challenge with a very capable cast; Eisenberg settling comfortably into the fast talking deal-maker role he’s good at, Skarsgård expertly portraying an off-kilter coding genius, and Salma Hayek personifying a Cruella Deville-ish antagonist that I enjoyed disliking.
There is an emotional aspect to the film, however, that I couldn’t quite connect with. Eisenberg and Skarsgård work well together, but there is something missing when these characters have intimate moments outside of the pressures of the project. I would argue a stronger score could’ve helped drive that emotional component.
As it is, The Hummingbird Project is an enjoyable film if not a likable one. How long after the film ends will you make that judgement? Probably 16 milliseconds.
Acting and Casting - 2 | Visual Effects and Editing - 2 | Story and Message - 2 | Entertainment Value - 1 | Music Score and Soundtrack - 1 | Reviewer's Preference - 1 | What does this mean?