Your blood may run cold, but you now find yourself pinioned to the story.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

I was empathetic toward Ye Liu for the first 75 minutes; it's like he just couldn't catch a break. It's not uncommon for genius and mental illness to co-exist, but jeez, did he have to do what he did?Very loosely based on (the then) 28-year-old Gang Lu and the University of Iowa shooting on November 1, 1991. The former graduate student killed four members of the university's faculty and a student; he left another student seriously injured, before committing suicide.This film is loosely (emphasis there) based on those events, but do we really need to see a school shooting? Yes, I think so. There were other options he could have explored, but then that wouldn't be much a movie now would it? Ironically it is the ending that allowed me to give Dark Matter the 6 stars that I did. I knew nothing about this movie before I watched it, but I was waiting for something to kick off – the plot summary just says he "reacts violently". I was getting a little bored before the end. I mean, I get it, he feels no one understands him, people are holding him back, or don't like him, or both...blah, blah, blah. He's like Gil Gunderson of The Simpsons: he just can't catch a break, poor guy. Well, you can only push a man so far.I can see what the director, Shi-Zheng Chen, was doing with the constant disappointments in Liu's life. Chen really wanted us to feel for Liu, and to understand him. Perhaps he did this to help us make sense of Liu's senseless actions?Art imitating life, imitating art. Or whatever.

For a film based on a true story, it could have been much better, much deeper, much more involving. This movie is overly simplistic, too straightforward. Everything is black or white, good or bad. Reality is never like this. A pity really, the premise is actually fascinating. The screenplay should have stuck much more to the truth, to actual events, they should have tried to portrait the characters faithfully, without trying to 'simplify' things for the viewer, to make the film more 'stylistically viable'.Oh yes, and this is one of the few movies (if not the only one) where Merryl Streeps presence was totally unnoticeable, if not unnecessary.

Inspired by actual events, director Chen Shi-Zheng's socially conscious psychological drama entitled,Dark Matter follows the journey of an ambitious Chinese scientist working towards his doctorate degree in the United States, only to be marginalized to the extent that he ultimately loses his way.It stars Liu Ye,Aidan Quinn and Meryl Streep.The screenplay was written by Billy Shebar.All Liu Xing ever wanted was to study the origins of the universe at a Western university. Upon arriving at the school, Liu immediately rents a modest apartment with a few other Chinese students and begins flirting with the pretty American who works at the local coffee shop. Personally welcomed into Department Head Jacob Reiser's select cosmology group, Liu remains dedicated to his studies and optimistic about the future. Things continue to look up as Liu becomes close with wealthy university patron Johanna Silver after the two become acquainted at an orientation for foreigners sponsored by a local church. Eventually, Liu becomes Reiser's protégé, and makes a sizable impression at a prestigious conference attended by the pair. But attitudes start to shift when Liu's studies in dark matter come into direct conflict with his mentor's prominent theories and well-established studies. His excitement about a potential breakthrough causes him to ignore repeated warnings that he must pay his dues, and Liu's findings are eventually eclipsed by that of more studious fellow student Laurence. Determined to have his studies published, Liu goes behind Reiser's back, but he ultimately becomes the target of ire rather than accolades, with Johanna's naïve encouragement prompting him along a dangerous collision course. While Liu remains enamored with the concept of the American dream and optimistic about American science being a free market of ideas, he begins to grow dejected after his dissertation is rejected, the girl at the coffee shop blows him off, and his roommates all find lucrative jobs. Essentially left behind at the university, Liu rejects Johanna's offer for help and vows not to return home to disappointed parents. Now, as he coasts on the fumes of his unrealized dreams, the dishonored student prepares to lash out with one final act of devastating annihilation. The movie is a thrilling examination of the origins of the universe, the dark side of cutthroat academics, and the pursuit of the American dream.Director Chen Shi-Zheng's film has a graceful energy, and three strong performances help make this serene drama and its shocking conclusion a quietly moving film.What makes it not great is the fact that the creaky plotting, inscrutable characters, and unconvincing ending make it difficult for audiences to connect with it.But despite of being imperfect, the high caliber of acting as well as these lucid moments in the earlier part of the film are strong and memorable highlights with which to leave the theater.

This is a confusing muddled drama of the sad plight of a brilliant Chinese student at an American university.This is the first effort of both the director; Shi=Zheng Che & writer Billy Shebar.If more experienced hands did this movie it very likely would have been handled better.The student(going for his PHD) is played by LUI YE-- from mainland China, His performance is first rate,He is a major actor in China & its easy to see why.Aiden Quinn is his mentor & professor & does his usual fine performance. Meryl Streep as a small ,but pivotal role and to me she seems not up to her usual par.The movie was filmed in Utah, & played in some festivals in 2007, released to very few theatres in 2008 & the box-office was pitiful.This is one of those films where they expect the audience to know what the story is supposed to be about. I was confused & think all will be as well...Ratings **1/2 (out of 4) 70 points (out of 100) IMDb 6 (out of 10)