THE PLATFORM
Dir - Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia
Overall: GOOD
A bold, quasi-horror/science fiction film and the full-length debut from Spanish director Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia, The Platform, (El hoyo), takes a savage, uncompromising look at socialism and the distribution of wealth. Based off of a script for a theater production by screenwriters David Desola and Pedro Rivero, the premise becomes unsettling rather quickly and Gaztelu-Urrutia does not make things easy on the viewer at virtually any point, lest of all as the story progresses. Things never become gratuitous though; instead there is a definite purpose to the brutality. While numerous movies feature a prison with a disturbing gimmick to overcome, The Platform does not make such a gimmick its primary focus. Instead, it is the social and economic themes that take center stage. Featuring unflinching violence and torture porn aesthetics, few punches if any are pulled and those who are squeamish may find it an unpleasant experience that is not worth the complicated questions it raises. For those that can stomach the highly uncomfortable proceedings though, it is an impressive work.
Dir - Carlo Mirabella-Davis
Overall: GOOD
Taking the wildly overlooked premise of pica, (a disorder where individuals are compelled to consume inedible objects), Carlo Mirabella-Davis' Swallow is off to a unique start. While its classification as a horror film is murky at best, it works far better as a psychological study of not just the rather bizarre mental condition, but more importantly such topics as narcissism and emotional belittlement. In the lead role as a woman who came from trauma only to be "lucky" enough to end up as the complacent housewife to a wealthy, handsome future CEO of his even more well-to-do father's company, Haley Bennett is consistently sympathetic even as her behavior spirals recklessly. At times, Mirabella-Davis' script seems to portray its less agreeable characters too broadly, but then moments will arise that humanize them just enough to make them less one-dimensional by not outright condoling their actions. This all grounds the movie considerably, showing the human flaws of everyone involved. The open-ended finish may not necessarily bring proper narrative closure, but it is uplifting all the same and lets the audience ponder things themselves.
Dir - Josh Lobo
Overall: MEH
The debut from independent filmmaker Josh Lobo, I Trapped the Devil is fiendishly atmospheric yet bogged down by amateurish plotting and performances. The premise leads itself to some sinister, psychological manipulation for its characters, but the script does not take quite enough advantage of this aspect. Lobo is instead primarily concerned with curating a very tense, eerie mood, though he does so at the expense of believable storytelling. Minor, unnecessary plot holes spring up and everything is left so cryptic that the whole thing garnishes a half-baked kind of feel. At times the three leads in A.J. Bowen, Scott Poythress, and Susan Burke seem properly weighed-down by the suffocating ambience, but at other times their line readings are a bit stiff. Loblo ultimately leaves too many things ill-defined and wide open though not in a successfully pondering way. What the film achieves in maintaining a slow-boil, heightened type of dread is indeed admirable, but everything else about it does not quite come together satisfyingly.
No comments:
Post a Comment