hddu10 The plot is simply too convoluted to describe with any effectiveness (I figure, hey...if the writer didn't care enough to create a good script, why should I have to care about writing a good synopsis)? It seems as though this film were intentionally trying to fill some kind of affirmative-action quota fantasy; the lead detective characters are of course a tough, elderly Jewish lesbian and a strong black woman. Add in an evil corporation, government conspiracy, anti-Christian bigotry and well, you got yourself a steamy pile of celluloid that no one has ever heard about, let alone watched. Oddly, the lead character, Tom Wlaschiha, is known more for his side-character in "The Game of Thrones"...I would never have possibly imagined him carrying a lead role in any movie (and this is proof why he shouldn't). Just...no.

kh98021 One has to wonder if at any point in the production of this film ascript existed that made any sense. Was the rough cut 3 hourslong and was it trimmed into the incoherent mess that survives? Why would anyone finance this mess? I will say that TomWlaschiha is a good looking young man and he does what he canwith the dialogue and dramatic (?) situations he is given. Butcharacters come and go for no apparent reason, continuity isnon-existent, and the acting, cinematography, and direction are (toput it politely) amateurish. Not One Sleeps is an unfortunatechoice of title as it will probably prove untrue should anyoneactually attempt to actually watch this film.

tim.halkin Let me start by saying something nice: Tom Wlaschiha, the film's lead, valiantly held his own in this muddled bit of tripe. Wlaschiha was not just up against the fact that he was having to perform in English, which is not his native language, but some of the worst writing, directing, editing and acting from the supporting cast (actually, calling them supporting is a contradiction of terms!) that the film industry has ever put in the can.The list of what's wrong with the film is actually much too long to analyze completely here, but it's starts with the lame attempt to force a modern-day, urban story into an opera plot - how many times will film makers try this, before they realize that it's silly at best? Trying to link Puccini's Turandot with a murderous cover-up conspiracy of the theory that the US government was doing testing with the HIV virus that had been found in sheep on prison inmates is akin to linking Queen's song "We are the Champions" to the Watergate cover-up...in other words: hammering a square peg into a round hole. The only conspiracy that seemed to be going on was the fact that everyone in San Francisco, where the film is set, seemed to know this opera by heart, breaking into its catchy tunes at a drop of a hat. When the Italian tenor breaks into "Nessun Dorma" at the end of an opening night party, simply because some guy tells him that his performance was good, I rolled off my couch laughing! This only topped by the fact that the serial killers hums the ditty while killing his HIV+ victims.The idea of using this theory as a cover-up conspiracy plot is not the problem here. In the hands of a good writer and director, this could actually make a thrilling plot along the lines of "JFK". Jochen Hick, who wrote, directed and produced the film (probably sewed the costumes, too), didn't seem to know if he wanted to make this a crime/thriller, or a character study of his lead character. Ultimately, he tried both and failed at both, ending up making just about every mistake a writer, as well as a director, could make - this all in just 104 minutes!One thing I have to give Hick credit for: as much as I wanted to turn the damn DVD player off, I watched this baby to the bitter end, but please don't take that as a recommendation to do the same!A film that every film school should use as a glowing example of: "don't let this happen to you!"

Kevin Donohue Poorly written conspiracy drama/mystery about the possibility that AIDS was introduced to the public by the government. Wlaschiha plays a gay researcher looking for answers--that within this foggy plot would be hard for anyone to find. Despite the cinematography itself being commendable, the camera hungers for characters of true depth instead of the shallow, amateur acting it unfortunately has to convey. Grade: D+