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Gateway (2021)
A good blending of two tales
The lo/no budget film is a business card for the director, if you
scour youtube, you can find the early work of Shane Meadows and
it was clear to anyone watching those one location, no budget short films that this director should be given the means to expand his stories, so rich are the characters and narrative.
Gateway could just as easily be so considered, this is the tale of
a crew of petty criminals looking to break into the big time but
choosing the wrong house for their plan, the characters are well
fleshed out and dialogue sounds authentic coming from the individual players in the story. If I could point out just one thing for any future work, and this is completely subjective, something I wondered about while watching, would be the blocking, I felt that such an intricate meshing of two storylines would have been much more dynamic if the characters moved about a bit more during dialogue scenes, but as I say, completely subjective, they may have been static to add to the sense of powerlessness that they gang were experiencing as they struggled to get a grip on the supernatural happenings in their hiding place.
The intensity was extremely well executed, there is a very effective, surreal sequence where the main protagonist is unable to move as he witnesses his own history playing out in front of him, it really hit the mark, anyone who has considered their own historic deeds or words will identify with the scene.
Overall the film was engaging, believable dialogue, I'd love to see
what Niall Owens could do if freed from the restraints of a limited
budget, I'd say, watch this space.
Charming Men: Part 1 - Julie (2020)
Very pleasantly surprised
Charming Men Part One - Julie
It's possibly difficult to watch Charming Men Part1 - Julie without comparing it to the tale of red riding hood, both stories tell a grim story of the dangers of walking through the woods and the desperate characters found therein.
It also asks the question, how far are you willing to go to find a missing loved one.
Mia Maria Hauge Wadsworth is a revelation in the title role with screen presence to rival any of the greats, she is surrounded by a very impressive cast all of whom
are visibly taking the narrative very seriously as indeed they should, hat is tipped to the director for selecting the cast carefully.
I was a little worried that I was going to be watching a film with a "man hating" agenda, but this film steers well clear of any of that, instead, I was treated to well crafted
independent film with a powerful story, nuanced performances and impeccably photographed.
I'll be keeping my out for what this director gives us in the future.
Vortex, l'aube de la souveraineté (2021)
Imagination let loose
It's a dazzling blend of animation, imagination and an obvious
determination by all involved to make a thought provoking sci fi epic.
The design and art direction are front and centre, you will no
doubt spot the many influences from myriad sci fi classics as you
follow the odyssey of Serena, a young girl surviving in a future of
devastation and enslavement. The visuals are testament to the ambition
of the director.
The film relies heavily on 3D modelling and digital compositing to
blend flesh and blood characters with computer generated backdrops,
it's cyberpunk, it's Orwell, it's trippy as hell and I get a sneaking
suspicion that we will be seeing more incredible work from this artist.
Turning Tide (2018)
incredible achievement
I saw this film at The Short film review film festival in London recently
and was amazed at the production values, effects and dramatic impact.
Its a huge canvas but at its heart, a small story about innocence lost
while witnessing brutality.
I would urge anyone to try catch this film wherever they can.
Alien: Covenant (2017)
Not for the brain dead
The last time I was this enthralled in a story was for Ex Machina, in fact, i think its the only other review I felt strongly enough to write. As the tale of David unfolded in front of me I gasped and remembered the original Alien transmission, how could Muthur possibly identify part of it..... unless.....! I'd love to write reams about the "creator-destroyer-creator" theme that most people won't even think about when they watch Alien Covenant but it would give too much away. The David character is mesmerizing when you consider that this is an AI that has already consigned all organic lifeforms to history as he plots and executes his own agenda and you will watch Prometheus again trying to see any evidence that he was on his own mission even then.
Ex Machina (2014)
There is intelligence out there!
Its the kind of film you privately wish for if you are a hardcore Sci Fi fan. It never digresses into area's not pertaining to the subject, that is, True artificial Intelligence, and, most importantly, no car chase's, explosion's and the usual fare that has somehow crept into what passes for Science Fiction of late. I wanted to see more, what happens next? What would happen next? Does the AI think like a human given that the "circuitry" was created by one or does it follow a silicon based rationale, whatever that might be. You need to see this film if you are a capable of independent reasoning. Powerful and destined to become a classic.