It was a beautifully crafted story although ending in such a tragic way. But I was rooting for him the shoot the asshole professor.

I'll take the unpopular risk of saying I think (and willing to risk my non-existent reputation here) that _Dark Matter_ is both powerful and made with a sweeping artistry. Note the small sample of opinions saying otherwise. The film was held up and had a very limited release. Did you know that? Only 41 reviewers were on this site (if that) before me, saying they mainly couldn't understand _Dark Matter_. Dear Problem Solvers--don't give up so easily. There were metaphors like the "ghost of a staircase" only existing in paint on a derelict building's wall near the end of the film that was a jaw-dropper. Different films have different ways of communicating. I think that saying characters are "inscrutable" as someone did means that the person making this statement may wish to revisit the film and also get a bit more acquainted with the subtle but powerful clues throughout. Hopefully these comments of encouragement will help. My guess is that _Dark Matter_ will rise as a cult classic and then an all-around "how did we miss the boat on this film?" In science and science fiction we use multi-factorial trends. Hey, I could be wrong in this "other take" on _Dark Matter_, but rather than proving I am right or something--highly unlikely in this setting--I am just asking film-loving people to give the film a second look. Another tip: in some cultures white is the color of death, not black. Clues and filmic "Easter Eggs" are throughout the film. Check the music credits at the end. These are also eye-opening when you go back to re-watch _Dark Matter_knowing what was there,making ironic and satirical comments under the action, just below conscious level. Enjoy, problem solvers. (You know who you are.) Does this help anyone? Hope so.

Dark Matter is about major illusions, great expectations and an extremely vivid imagination, which become a dark void only you can see. That's what can happen when the student has come further than the professor, and there's an additional cultural gap and solid dose of Jante law at play. All this issues are present in this film, and it's obvious all along where this is going, also as the plot is based on true events. It would probably work out better as a docudrama. The music score fits nicely and the acting performances, particularly from the Chinese characters, are quite solid, but why cast an overused and overrated Meryl Streep? Again she basically only plays another version of herself, and there must be thousands of less famous actresses who could do her role in this film better. Neither hers or Aidan Quinn's fame attraction benefits the total. Also there is an effort to bind the plot and fundamental message together with dividing it into chapters named after the elements, but it's unclear what the intention behind this is. Neither the attempt to create metaphoric combinations between astronomical theses and segments in the plot are very successful. Nice try, but no PhD.

Director Chen Shi-Zeng presents the haunting tale of Liu Xing in his 2008 film, Dark Matter. Xing is a brilliant Chinese doctoral student who is afforded an opportunity to do research work in the United States. Xing dreams of winning a Nobel Prize and eagerly dives into pleasing his mentor, Professor Reiser (Aidan Quinn in an extremely well nuanced performance). Meryl Streep rounds out the cast as Johanna Silver. Silver is wealthy and well-intentioned donor at the University where Xing is doing his research, and she befriends him as he attempts to acclimate to the many differences of living in the United States versus China. While Streep and Quinn both give outstanding performances, for me this film was carried by Ye Liu portraying the eager and devoted protagonist, Liu Xing. He is on equal footing with his elder co-stars and steals the camera and the viewer's heart with his wide-eyed enthusiasm, naivety, and immense pride. As Xing progresses in his research for Professor Reiser, he writes home often to tell of his progress, sometimes exaggerating his own successes. The letters are presented to the viewer in voice overs and director Shi-Zeng juxtaposes Xing's words with scenes of his parents in China who work laboriously in menial jobs. These cutaways work well. On the other hand, Shi-Zeng also uses flashes of light with quick glimpses of Xing at other moments with odd camera angle cutaways that don't work. I found them distracting. There is also an odd friendship that Xing establishes with a local female barista that seems overplayed. It establishes his desire to fit in and "Americanize" but seems to have been included more to simply set up the necessary distinction between cosmology and cosmetology. Xing's brilliance soon causes animosity with the professor he has been working for and he finds his path to success and his integration into American life to be far from the experience he had dreamed of or written to his parents about. Looking for ways to remain in America he takes on work that leads to one of the most memorable scenes of the film. Xing (Lui) and Johanna (Streep) deliver a cringe worthy few moments where discomfort is agonizingly drawn out and shame is laid bare… neither character attempting to speak truthfully for fear of disappointing the other. This scene is forever etched in my brain now. After this moment, Xing takes control of his circumstances in what is an all too American way. The Beijing Angelic Choir signing a powerful version of "Beautiful Dreamer" only enhances the film's conclusion. From what I've now seen, I'm in the minority with this opinion, but I think this movie is a fine one, especially for a first-time director. This one will remain with me, flaws and all.

L'argomento trattato avrebbe tutte le caratteristiche per essere interessante, ma ciò che lo rende poco commestibile è la regia lenta e troppo incessantemente concentrata sull'elaborazione di un carattere introverso quanto spaesato. Al posto che rendere accessibile a tutti il disagio del protagonista, lo si interiorizza, impedendo al pubblico di capirne la vera essenza. Inoltre troppi caratteri stereotipati e assolutamente inconsistenti. Peccato perchè l'idea era molto interessante.

Meryl Streep somehow ended up in this real dog of a film about a Chinese student goes apeshit. One to be missed for sure.

The logic for the ending is a bit too tenuous. The main character does not appear to have psychological problems to make him even just want to shoot someone, anyone. The real life person from which the film is inspired certainly was more deeply troubled. It can be however taken ironically to mean that the main character finally adapts to life in the USA and solves some frustrations the americanos way.... I think the film also wants to leaves the message that the guy chose the gun too hastily and his problems would be solved very happily with some patience - scene where his romantic interest seemed to miss him near the end.

Save your time - ticked off Asian FOB takes his vengeance on the people he feels have wronged him...WTF evah!

In the true event, the student, Gang Lu, was far from a naive victim whose dream was shattered by academic politics and cultural difference as portrayed by the film, but rather a self-promoting and selfish psycho who couldn't tolerate the fact that another fellow student was better than him. Chen Shi-Zheng captures the story very differently an far from it's truth, A pretty extreme character to start with, Gang Lu transforms into a poster- boy for a certain type of desperation with no outlet. You can kind of see it all coming from a mile away, but the outcome still packs a crazy kick in the gut. Maybe even all the more so for its nauseous inevitability.

Although we may not like the outcome of the narrative, it does give some insight as to what led to the events. Not that it justifies it, but people always want to know why some minds snap, just like dry twig.

Stereotypical performance but interesting. If it wasn't based on real events, it would be unbelievable.

it was semi confusing but i LOVED the soundtrack!

sucks big time what ever possessed streep 2 do this tripe is beyond me

this movie was pretty interesting and just kinda different. I enjoyed it but dont think id watch it again.

A brainy guy goes berserk. The movie shows the pitfalls of falling between the cracks. He wants to be vindicated for his obsession with dark matter, a theory that he can't prove, in which the things we can't explain are given a rational ("mathematical") model; he sees those who know better than to fall into pure speculation as out to stifle and deny him, and it builds into a rage based on his inability to adapt to the world outside his obsession. When his rival is awarded a phd over him, he goes over the line into murderous jealousy and despair. Meryl Streep cannot even save him! Ppl he hates tell him to play the politics game and get his doctorate instead of trying to be a revolutionary, only they are right in this case because dark matter doesnt exist. Knowing the seams of the universe don't fit can lead ppl to sad things if they try to project their inner problems to make it all work, I think is the moral of this movie.

Just immature and hysterical. As an academic at heart, I did find the characters plausible..

Despite presumably honorable intentions and sticking close to the actual events, Shi-Zheng's film is sadly completely lacking in tension or involvement. Partly thanks to the cold, frank direction and Liu's somewhat vacant performance, this tale of an ambitious young science student who's complex relationship with his mentor eventually results in almost an implausible massacre, feels like a plodding, low budget exercise that never really get's going. Building slowly to a conclusion that inexplicably lacks any real emotional punch, and with several completely redundant characters (the parents, Meryl Streep) Dark Matter tries and fails to enunciate the tragic consequences of academic pressure and cultural differences.

A disturbing study of a clash of cultures. Liu Ye, a Chinese student, is brilliant in cosmology, but lost in coping with America. He is driven, but can't pick up on the cues in dealing with his jealous mentor, picking up an American girl, or even relating to his fellow Chinese students. Ye Liu is riveting as Liu Ye. Aiden Quinn plays the smarmy bullying boss. Streep's & Brown's characters are somewhat more insightful and empathetic, but don't challenge the dominant male.

This one could be called "Dirty academic world for dummies". Grad students appreciate better than the average critic for knowing first hand the politics in academia... The story is definitely not far fetched, but actually pretty realistic.

Great work from Meryl, as always, but otherwise, I didn't care for it.