Reversion (2015)

Posted on June 2, 2016 by Emilie Black

The makers of Oubli, a device that allows its wearer to relive moments from their past, prepare for a huge launch which could make or break the company. Sophie Cle, daughter to Oubli’s creator Jack Cle, is the biggest proponent of the device. That is until she gets kidnapped and shown a different truth which makes her question everything she knows.

Reversion was directed and co-written by Jose Nestor Marquez with writer Elissa Matsueda. Previously, Marquez worked on a film called Isa about a conspiracy through the government to control thoughts/minds.

This film is connected to Reversion on more than a thematic level as one of the supporting characters in Reversion is named Isa and played by the same actress. The story here revolves around a device called Oubli which means something akin to “forgotten” or “not remembered” in French, a device made to help people remember and relive specific memories. The cost of this is not simply monetary as more is at risk. The story here explores the ethics and repercussions of technological advancements. The main character is Sophie Clé whose last name means “key” in French, another name that is not accidental.

The characters and situations build a mystery wrapped up in technological advancements which keep the viewers’ attention throughout. Sophie Clé is interpreted by Aja Naomi King who turns in a solid performance of a character with hidden information within herself which is not an easy part. Supporting her are Gary Dourdan as her driver, Colm Feore as her father, Jeannette Samano as her kidnapper, and Amanda Plummer as the mysterious woman with a lot of information. All turn in good performance, Feore and Samano giving the best ones of the support group with layers being peeled back as the story evolves.

The film is shot in two different styles, one for the main story and one just slightly different for the memories brought back by the Oubli device, adding to the mystery of whether or not these memories are real or not and as to if they have been tinkered with to make their owner happy. To support these styles, the score is created in part within the movie for the Oubli sequences which have a dream like feeling in great part due to the sounds and music making their ambiance felt by the viewers, immersing them into the character’s experience. This effect adds a lot to the movie and its atmosphere as a whole.

Reversion is an interesting watch that will make the viewer think about how far technology has come, how far it could go, and if it should be allowed to go that far. The film keeps the mystery and intrigue going throughout its runtime while not giving everything away, making it a movie with a rewatchability factor.

Enragés (Rabid Dogs) (2015)

Posted on March 28, 2016 by Emilie Black

A group of four bank robbers run into trouble while attempting to escape. Their simple plan of robbing a bank and getting away goes terribly awry when one of them is killed and the others take hostages. They eventually get on their way to possible freedom with a father and daughter as well as a woman; however, the road to this freedom is littered with obstacles and violence. Enragés is a new adaptation of the short story “Man and Boy” by Michael J. Carroll which was previously adapted by Mario and Lamberto Bava in 1974. Here the screenplay is written by Yannick Dahan, first time writer and director Eric Hannezo, and actor (yet not in this film) Benjamin Rataud.

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Refuge (2016)

Posted on February 25, 2016 by Felix Vasquez

Andrew Robertson’s post apocalyptic drama is quite the accomplishment. it’s almost like a zombie film without the zombies, focusing primarily on the threat of mankind and how ugly we can be when the resources run low. Robertson’s film presents a villain in every person that the family we center on meets, and how vile people can be when they’re hungry and dehydrated. “Refuge” is set directly after a pandemic involving a plague that is untreatable with any known antibiotics. After most of the population is wiped out, the rest of mankind is left foraging for food and trying to maintain some sense of humanity.

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The Revenant (2015)

Posted on January 29, 2016 by Felix Vasquez

With “The Revenant,” Alejandro González Iñárritu pulls off a wonderful vision with amazing cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, posing the wilderness of South Dakota as something of an omnipresent force that works against every single character from the moment we step on to the snow covered woodlands. “The Revenant” works around a simple tale of revenge and enduring the elements all to convey the sheer unforgiving world that protagonist Hugh Glass has to venture across simply to avenge his own son. The weather and terrain holds no prisoners and garners zero bias, enduring the war of man and being covered in the blood of the violated while offering as much punishment as it’s dealt. Director Iñárritu’s “The Revenant” is a grueling epic that views what lengths main character Hugh Glass is willing to go through to ensure justice is served.

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The Runaround Club (2015)

Posted on January 21, 2016 by Felix Vasquez

Matt Rindini’s short drama suffers mainly because of its short format. And I mean that as a compliment because I really like the concept for “The Runaround Club,” but feel it’s a good short film that could transform in to a great dramatic thriller. It could work as a film about a crisis of conscience with two criminals, both of whom see a family committed to a more dead end life than their own. It could almost be like “The Desperate Hours” meets “The Ref” sans the comedy.

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Room (2015)

Posted on December 17, 2015 by Felix Vasquez

Brie Larson is probably the most underrated actress working today. She’s a force of nature in every film she leads, and manages to outshine even in films that she co-stars in. “Room” is another in a line of original and unique films that Larson makes her own, delivering one of the most layered and heartbreaking performances of the year. “Room” is an unlikely thriller that surrounds the strong bonds of a mother and son, one that overcomes the horrendous circumstances in which the mother and son are ensconced in. Even young Jack, who is a child of violence, is the lone strand of sanity that keeps her from completely breaking down and giving up on life.

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The Ridiculous 6 (2015)

Posted on December 14, 2015 by Felix Vasquez

You can’t even be mad at Adam Sandler anymore. If he’s not trying to break out of his comfort zone, all we can really do is watch the slow painful death of his career, while he brings Netflix down with him. Sandler silently stumbles in to “The Ridiculous 6” with an obvious bored, half asleep performance, and leaves the film with a cool pay day and the hope that at least one or two of his remaining fans will love what he’s put out in the form of this hideous western comedy that doesn’t even try to re-invent the wheel. Netflix doesn’t seem to be demanding much from Sandler, so it’s apparent here that Sandler isn’t even working toward offering nothing we haven’t already seen in the last fifteen years ad nauseum. Almost like a contractual obligation, “The Ridiculous 6” is a greatest hits compilation of no brainer Sandler tropes that fill up the required two hour run time.

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