Film Filter: Off - This was one of those films that had a very vague synopsis, so it was pretty impossible to categorize off the bat. After watching the film though, it's clear that although the movie is indeed a suspenseful horror film, there is a much deeper meaning and intent behind it.
Pros- This film definitely has a lot going for it. I will say that it is impossible to make this type of film work without having a strong lead, which Sarah (Elizabeth Olsen) really delivered. She was actually going about escape and hiding in an intellectual way, rather than the stereotypical running and screaming.
This movie had a relatively small cast- about five characters total. The cast did a very good job of making dialogue and interactions very believable, especially in the beginning. It was easy to get involved with the characters, as they were acting like normal human beings, and felt real.
Although this movie had a stereotypical setting of an abandoned house with no electricity and no cell phone reception, the way they brought it up was more believable than I would have thought.
Doing this film in one, single shot with no cuts must have been grueling. The movie itself was good enough that you really didn't notice, but if you re-watch a scene or two and think about the job of the camera man and the actors...it's pretty mind-blowing.
I certainly have my feelings about a scene or two towards the end of the film, but I thought where the film ended up in terms of content was pretty brilliant. Did I think the evolution from beginning to end was perfectly executed? Absolutely not. In the end, though, the directors and screenwriter made a successful scary movie about something real, and something thought provoking. Kudos.
Cons- While the single action shot was really cool and very well done, it made it hard to see things sometimes, and the directors themselves even stated that there was a symbolic item in the background of a scene that didn't get seen because of it. It's also hard to, from an analytical standpoint, figure out the perspective of the film. Is it third person, since Sarah is being seen on screen so much? Is it first person, since we get to see things from her perspective at times? It's a bit confusing to me, and while I'm glad they could make the film work in one shot (and am not sure if they could have maintained a single perspective with that goal in mind) it was annoying at times.
There was WAY too much time spent on Sarah running and hiding from creepy people in her house. There was also a lot of time spent on her trying to break out. You may be thinking, "Well, Corri, it is a movie about intruders, after all. That's what people do when strangers are in their house." Yeah, I know, but pick an option. Spend all your efforts on either escaping, or hiding and waiting them out. Even though she wasn't an idiot about either, doing both just wastes time, and limits your commitment to one or the other. Plus it's like watching paint dry to the audience.
There is this one scene that I just don't get. Everything in the film seems so realistic, but in one bathroom shot she is seeing weird people in the tub and a toilet on the wall spewing blood. I think I know why the scene was so abstract, but to me it took away from the film's attempt to feel real.
Wrap up- Overall, I would highly recommend this film. It is very different from what you will ordinarily get from a scary movie, and the cast does a great job. Plus, it's based (veeeerrrrrry loosely) on true events.
No comments:
Post a Comment