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Film reviews

Backrooms Review

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This is one of those films where I felt my mind going from a mild headache to being incredibly disgusted and disturbed. The question in my head was how messed up is Backrooms? Honestly, pretty messed up, with walls that continue to fade along with puppets thrown in to feel like A Blair Witch Projectblur. The camera does not hold steady as it portrays everything through a rocky motion. A promising premise that is ruined by the horrid tones. I was not pleased with Backrooms. This is hard for me to say, but I truly was not sold at all.

The plot revolves around a therapist and a patient. The “therapist” is Mary, played by Renate Reinsve, and the “patient” is Clark, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor. Clark’s stressor is the fact that his furniture shop is in hysterics with debts and strange technical maladies. A lot of it continues with lights dimming on and off and his financial crisis being quite bad, so he finds himself sleeping in the business’s building. However, there is a haunting that aspect that lingers in Backrooms. The walls have hidden aisles that are unexplained. With the beginning of the film feeling like The Blair Witch Project, it has that haunting approach. The execution though, fails in its overlap of events—primarily because the introductions make no sense.

Clark finds himself repeatedly walking through the hurdles of his walls. He thinks he is hallucinating. Mary believes that Clark is just emotionally depressed because of his stressful  situation. Everything from then on continues to fall downhill. The key to the haunting aspects of Clark’s business has weird elements written all over it.  It is portrayed through a shaky camera, a maze of walls, and questionable mental health written into the center of it all. The film made me feel like it was a psychological headache.

There is a moment where Clark is trying to find the many walls of his own nightmare. He does this by walking through the walls of his store. He is attempting to find the key that can solve his problems. In reality, he is living in his own worst nightmare. I felt a bit like his adventure was my own worst nightmare as I continued to watch. The true terrors are not defined well at all and lack purpose in Backrooms.

The focus is one that shifts so much. It tries to keep feeling creative and bizarre and I can appreciate that approach, but it is like it was all thrown into a pool and just placed in no real order. That is the problem with Backrooms, the terror is not solidified because its foundation is weak. Promising terrors, but not providing the delivery they deserve. Who is the one in the most danger? Is it Mary or Clark? Is Clark truly insane? He might be, however the approaches to terror and anxiety fall flat. There are shocking moments that have revolutionary feelings, however the contexts in which they are presented are mediocre. Backrooms isa maze that looks  confusing rather than being entertaining. I was more sold on the wonderful performance of Reinsve than the film itself. The acting is here is quite good, but the rest is a mess. I truly had a  hard time defining my experience with this one. Two out of four stars.

 

Film reviews

Mother Mary Review

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This film is like a fantasy where the lines between talent and reality are blurred. The artistic side seems universally magnificent. However, the pacing and characterizations are out of tune. Directed by David Lowery, he creates places of power and love and adds layers of a Kingsman era. Only Mother Mary is strictly female. There are moments of openness which express artistic talent, yet the meaning behind it is tainted. The film combines a mixture of various moments in which nothing gets accomplished. Cinematically wonderful, but the writing side…a flop!

The main characters are Mother Mary (Anne Hathaway) and Sam Anselm (Michaela Coel). The film follows suffering iconic pop star, Mother Mary. She finds herself getting together with her costume designer Sam. Mother Mary is on the verge of regaining her fame by performing. Her costumes and her appearance have elements that she questions. The film becomes an odd and bizarre journey of self-discovery. Unfortunately, I found continuity and creativity lacking.

The film has some imaginative dynamics. In Hathaway’s performance, she portrays a character who is pursuing her destiny by pushing above and beyond. In Coel’s performance, she demonstrates a persistent desire to compete. At the same time, they are both females with interesting creative narratives, and they adequately fit their roles. The dynamics of the film have potential which are not fully harnessed. Specifically, the cinematography and choreography are impressive in parts. The rest of the film…trash! It starts by using wonderful elements and then throws them down the drain.

I am trying to be positive about this film, but it is not easy. I thought the pop and dance stuff would lead to a Black Swan or Moulin Rouge type of experience, but it didn’t. What I got was a film where imagination and a comeback fail to see eye-to-eye. Hathaway’s performance of struggle speaks, but the rest of the film fails to comply. Mother Mary is a pop concert filled with confusion, silliness, and wasted creativity which never delivers. The film does have some scenes with very cool red lighting. In the end, they’re also a waste since this rest is so lacking.

Mother Mary should have built on the cinematography. But the artistry in the characterizations is some of the worst I have seen. I came prepared to appreciate the performances. It is a pity that they fall apart. Two out of four stars for Mother Mary.

Film reviews

The Drama Review

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A title that speaks for itself. There is a level of melancholy that is disturbing enough to speak to a wide range of audiences. There are moments where a variety of strange topics reach audacity. The ultimate turmoil, however, is the relationship clashing. It is purely dramatic. Written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli, this is The Drama. After directing a film in which one man is showing up in anyone’s dreams in Dream Scenario, this time he creates dreams that become a negative reality. In The Drama, barriers and boundaries get crossed, and inappropriate gestures swirl. The primary setting for this entertaining disaster is a wedding.

The film’s main couple are Emma (Zendaya) and Charlie (Robert Pattinson). Their wedding weekend is upon them and slowly disasters begin to arise, many of which come from social components. Emma starts talking about evil fascinations as a child as well as breaking up friendships based on loyalty and disgust. The couple’s friends are Rachel (Alana Haim) and Mike (Mamoudou Athie). They begin to see the red flags, but the red flag scenario is just a fantasy. One that gets uglier every step of the way. 

Borgli’s direction of this dark comedy is created to showcase deceit yet be spellbinding and funny. It is quirky, but also silly in fragments. The daring chemistry between the characters solidifies the moving parts of the invigorating disasters in The Drama. The context behind the disasters makes the movie even more captivating, especially since it keeps audiences wondering if Emma and Charlie or happy or not. In addition, what is truly going on with their past and their careers? Ultimately, who is the bigger person with fewer red flags? Are many of them simply created?

One question from the film that kept spinning in my mind was, “What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?” That question turns the ignition at the wedding that veers into a hard place to return from. Then there is a scene where Emma tells everyone around her, “I planned to bring a weapon to school.” That backstory brings out vivid and vindictive chemistry surrounding The Drama and makes the film even more dramatic. There is plenty of context behind what is going wrong and the negative elements negativity spiral in various directions. Charlie’s nervousness escalates until he finds himself at a boiling point. Bridges are burned like crazy in The Drama thanks to the vivid and enduring direction of the film.

With everything going on in the story, it gives viewers the feeling of a burning sensation, The Drama is a portrait of sadness and depression, both of which result in bipolar motion that progresses throughout the film. There is lots of hatred, resentment, and evil fantasy moments. It is filled with turmoil as part of a tragic competition. There is a boxing match of egos between Zendaya and Pattinson that continues to rumble. The movie is stressful and enticing, but also cinematically engaging. It is a clever, yet satirical watch. Three-and-a-half out of four stars for The Drama.