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Shelley (2016) [Fantasia International Film Festival 2016]

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shelleyIn a remote house completely off the grid, Louise and her husband Kasper hire a Romanian maid to help with house chores and take care of their chickens.  As the bond between Louise and Elena, the maid, grows, Louise asks her to carry a child for her as she cannot do so herself.  After careful considerations, Elena accepts.  Unfortunately, this is where the honeymoon phase ends and things take a turn for the odd and creepy.

The film is directed by Ali Abbasi who co-wrote with Maren Luise Kaehne.  Together they created believable characters in an interesting setting as they live completely off the grid without any technology but make due with what they have.  In this film, it’s a choice by the characters and not imposed in any way.  The characters have different backgrounds and speak different languages, leading them to speak English to understand each other which is a nice way to get a European film shot in English for a good part of it.  The differences in cultures also add nicely to the depth of the characters.

Unfortunately, these characters are given very little to do that is of interest.  Even when Elena’s pregnancy takes a turn for the weird, it’s barely enough to keep the attention which is too bad as it could have been great had it been exploited better, a great take on pregnancy horror, a sub-genre we see very little of (Grace, A l’interieur, Rosemary’s Baby), that fell flat without enough happening or strong enough happenings.

The very small cast keeps the film feeling intimate and minimal with three strong lead performances.  In the part of Louise, Ellen Dorrit Petersen brings a calm and quiet, yet strong presence.  She handles things beautifully when it would have been so easy to go into overacting in a movie with this subject.  Together with actress Cosmina Stratan as Elena, they build a visible friendship and bond and then, when things change, they show the strain between them without saying much.  Supporting these two performances is Peter Christoffersen as Louise’s husband Kasper.  He does well with the smaller part he is given.  His emotions feel rawer, less controlled. The rest of the small cast is also talented and believable in their parts.

Shelley is another film with two cinematographers working in tandem where which scene is whose is indistinguishable.  Nadim Carlsen and Sturla Brandth Grovlen do this while bringing serenity to the scenes, particularly the outdoors sequences.  The film looks peaceful, even once the creep factor is turned up.  Many scenes on the lake could be turned into a tourism add for overworked city folks.

Supporting all of this is the music by Martin Dirkov which is subtle yet effective.  Some of the scenes when things are going oddly and supernatural elements may be involved, the music bring home the creepiness while not becoming overbearing or telling viewers what to feel.

While Shelley is an interesting take on the pregnancy horror sub-genre, the film is very slow with very little going on, making it less interesting than it had potential for.  The less is more approach usually works for this reviewer, however here it was much too little and lead to an expected ending with very little pay off.

Fantasia International Film Festival ran from July 14th until August 3rd, 2016 and will be back in the summer of 2017.

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There Is a New World Somewhere (2016)

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TIANWSLi Lu’s drama “There Is a New World Somewhere” is another one of those dramas about thirty somethings looking for directions in life. It’s in the tradition of movies like “Garden State” and Greta Gerwig movies, while director Lu really tries to invent her own “Five Easy Pieces.” The problem is “There Is a New World Somewhere” doesn’t present enough of a dilemma for our protagonist Sylvia to begin hitting the open road and looking for some sort of purpose. We settle in with her for all of fifteen minutes before we’re told how restless she is, and then takes off with character Esteban who she meets at a party one night.

Agnes Brucker is a very strong actress with a unique energy and charisma that has never really been wisely utilized by other directors, and it’s a shame. She’s very good in “There Is a New World Somewhere” and literally carries what is only a mediocre road trip film about two people trying to find themselves. I think. Or maybe they’re trying to find the meaning of life. Or a purpose? I never did catch on. Either way, Bruckner is the highlight as Sylvia a struggling artist anxious to launch an opening at the gallery she works in to showcase her art. When she’s turned down, she begins questioning her life and is called to party with some long lost friends, many of whom are on the verge of being married.

After forming a connection with party goer Esteban, Sylvia skips town with him and begins traveling around the country. Along the way, the pair have a passionate affair and wander around from landmark to landmark discussing the meaning of life, their passion for certain parts of life, and how unfulfilled they feel. Li Lu has a wonderful directorial style providing some great wide shots and beautiful dream like moments and montages where Sylvia and Esteban linger in various spots and different cities trying to savor life. I just wish “There Is a New World Somewhere” had a much more solid narrative and a lot more character depth.

When Sylvia skips town on her friends to take a trip with a stranger, it feels like half baked motivation to set the plot in motion. When the pair of character do manage to get in to various escapades, it’s never all that interesting. That said, Lu’s direction is vibrant, while star Bruckner is a very good actress who shines in an otherwise middling drama.

Now on VOD, IVOD, and is in Limited Theatrical Release until August 31st.

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Lowlife Love (2015) [Fantasia International Film Festival 2016]

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lowlifeloveA lowlife, 39 year old film, director uses his position to sleep with young actresses under promise of making them stars.  While doing this, he’s trying to get his next film produced and cast.  Around him: His best friend makes porn films to gather money for a filming budget; a young film writer wants to get his script produced; a young actress falls in love with the film writer, et al. Everyone seems to be out for their own careers and selves, not caring about others.

Lowlife Love is written and directed by Eiji Uchida and is a study of people doing everything they need to get to their ends, to get fame for themselves, no matter the cost to others and themselves.  Uchida crafts a study of what drives people, some people, to go to ends some never would to get what they want.  His style is a bit in your face, showing events and how they affect everyone involved but never truly getting to the bottom of the reasons and the feelings behind it all.

To bring this to the screen, Uchida has a cast of 30 or so, most of them giving decent performances.  Unfortunately, most of the characters feel a bit thin and one dimensional at times, with a very few standouts.  Thankfully, one actress shows nuance and layers in her performance, Maya Okano as Minami shows the best arc, the best performance.  She shows great talent and becomes the best part of the film.  Her performance shows naïveté at first and then a form of regret as she has lost her innocence throughout the events of the film.

The cinematography by Kenji Noguchi follows the tone of the film, framing the scenes in ways to enhance their feeling of despair and of need for fame.  The film feels almost dirty some times, claustrophobic at others times, all through the look the images’ framing give it.  He adapts his style to what the scene needs, showing versatility.  However, the film’s story not being exactly great, this is a bit lost in the shuffle.

Lowlife Love is an attempt at making a dark dramedy about what goes on behind the scenes of some films but it makes it sound like it’s what goes on behind all films.  The story could have been great but its execution, starting with the story’s writing, is not on point.  A lot of it feels as though the filmmaker is trying hard but not hitting his mark, the characters feel exaggerated, and this all leads to a less than fascinating film.  Unless one is really into director Eiji Uchida’s films, it may not be worth watching.

Fantasia International Film Festival runs from July 14th until August 3rd, 2016.

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Dark Side of the Moon (2015) [Fantasia International Film Festival 2016]

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dsotmDr. Urs Blank is a successful lawyer with a pharmaceutical company hell-bent on becoming the biggest in its field in Europe.  They ruthlessly merge with other companies and eliminate them.  His work taking its toll on him, Blank goes through an accelerated mid-life crisis that brings him to try psychedelic mushroom with dire consequences on his psyche.

The film based on the novel by Martin Suter is adapted by Catharina Junk, David Marconi, and Stephan Rick.  Their script is brought to the screen by Stephan Rick.  This team creates an almost mesmerizing film in which we get to see a man go from a very business mentality, to a sweeter man, to a psychological break that leads to violence and out of character actions for the lead.  The way this is shown is with a slow-burn of a film which takes its time to get to the point, but is absolutely worth it.

In the lead of Urs Blank is Moritz Bleibtreu turning in a nuanced performance of a man who thinks he’s going psycho after ingesting psychedelic mushrooms.  His performance here is great and multi-layered; he gives his character depth and emotions, showing the right amount of guilt, of feeling lost, of despair.  His character drives the film and his performance is pivotal, making it of utmost importance, which Bleibtreu grabs onto and for which he gives one the best performances of his career.  Also, giving fantastically nuanced performances are Doris Schretzmayer as Blank’s wife Evelyn, Nora von Waldstatten as Lucille, and Jurgen Prochnow as Blank’s boss Plus Ott.  The ensemble is very strong, a sign of good direction but also of good casting, done here by Veronique Fauconnet and Nilton Martins.

This reviewer being a photographer first and foremost, the cinematography for Dark Side of the Moon caught attention.  Stefan Ciupek and Felix Cramer do an amazing job of framing the story and characters in a way that is stunning and that brings everything together.  The fact that this was done by two persons shows how well they work together and adapt to each other’s style as never in the film does it feel as though two people did the cinematography, which is not an easy feat as each of them as his own style, his own vision.

Dark Side of the Moon is a slow-burn of a film, a stunning film, filled with great acting, and with a very good story.  Not knowing it is based on a book until after watching it makes this reviewer want to track the book down and see what other layers to the story can be found there.

Fantasia International Film Festival runs from July 14th until August 3rd, 2016.

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Slash (2016) [Fantasia International Film Festival 2016]

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slashA teen discovers slash fan fic and writes some about characters from his favorite series Vanguard.  After an older girl reads some of it and he gets in trouble in school for its graphic nature, she pushes him to post it online for all to see and to get feedback.  This gets him noticed by one of the moderators of the forum and he’s encouraged to go read an excerpt at a Comic-Con type convention. Writer/director Clay Liford adapts from his own 2012 short of the same name, changing the lead’s obsession from Harry Potter to a fake series called Vanguard.

Here he builds a coming of age story where the two leads, Neil and Julia, are at different points in their teenage evolution and in their sexual awakening.  Both characters feel real and have natural interactions with each other and with the adults and teens around them. The characters and situations are believable, especially for someone (like this reviewer) who has encountered many a fan fic writer and read a few horrendous and other decent bits of it.  Setting the film partially at a comic-con works here as it puts the two nerds in what feels like their natural environment, where they fit in better than in their school or home settings.

Both leads here are talented and natural at their parts.  Michael Johnston plays up Neil’s awkwardness, creating a very human 15 year old nerd with dreams, aspirations, worries.  His character is never a caricature of emerging teen writers and never a send up of nerds as is often seen in these types of movies.

Playing opposite Michael Johnston is Hannah Marks as Julia, the less sheltered and more experienced fan fic writing 16 year old who shows him the ropes in terms of getting out there and finding himself.  Marks plays her character full force, never skimping on any emotions, yet never exaggerating or hamming it up.  The viewers feel with her, go through her emotional roller coaster with her.  The supporting cast, including a great Michael Ian Black leaving his sarcastic persona behind, does a great job and let Michael Johnston and Hannah Marks shine, not over shadowing them while also turning in good performance.

The film’s cinematography by Ellie Ann Fenton makes it look a bit like it belongs on current MTV or on a big screen at a convention, which is not a bad thing as this style lends itself to the subject matter at hand.  The way the scenes are shot, their settings also add to this.  The film looks good and is well framed, making it easy to concentrate on the two leads.

Slash is a well-crafted film about teen experiences and sexual awakening for the teen nerd, mainly viewed through the eyes of a fifteen year old boy.  His experiences and feelings are relatable, making even the uncomfortable moments work.  The film is touching in parts and a bit cringe-worthy in others, which are both good things here.  The film is entertaining and a glimpse into two slash fan fic writers’ lives.

Fantasia International Film Festival runs from July 14th until August 3rd, 2016.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978): Collector’s Edition [Blu-Ray]

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invasion-blurayPhilip Kaufman’s 1978 remake and adaptation of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” remains one of the most resounding arguments for the purpose of remaking films. Often times like the case of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” directors can rework certain ideas and add something to the mythology, allowing for a starker and very bleak vision that helps a film stand on its own. John Carpenter achieved that with “The Thing,” and Philip Kaufman succeeds in adding his own layer of dread and futility with “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” A lot of horror movies are filled with some tinge of hope that perhaps humanity or our heroes will prevail over the unusual menace threatening to consume a portion of Earth.

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The Best Thing I’ve Seen in 2016

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strangerthings1Netflix’s “Stranger Things” is the best thing I’ve seen all year. TV show, Movie, Web show, et al. The Duffer Brothers “Stranger Things” season one is eight episodes long at fifty five minutes each and it’s the easiest eight hours I’ve ever spent watching a series. There’s no filler, no flab, no pointless segues in to a sub-plot that wanders aimlessly. Every element of every episode is crucial and important and The Duffer Brothers have no time to fuck around.

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