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Film reviews

Love Lies Bleeding Review

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Going into this movie, my gut told me it was likely to be an unsettling experience. And it was due to the magnificent suspense in the depths of addiction and abruption. Director Rose Glass adds layers of tension that define the terror of reality in Love Lies Bleeding. I was moved by the film’s bizarre dynamics in which everyone has a strange angle within their characterizations.

The film begins at a gymnasium and focuses on a girl named Lou (played by Kristen Stewart). Lou works as a manager at a run-down gym. She is not friendly or focused on customer service and gets into all kinds of trouble in her spare time. Much of her judgment is based upon her harsh upbringing by her father, Lou Sr. (played by Ed Harris). Lou Sr. owns a gun range and is connected to hidden criminal activities. His history over the years has led to turmoil and an estranged relationship with his daughter. Lou is also a lesbian. During one of Lou’s aggravating shifts, she comes across a bodybuilder named Jackie (played by Katy O’Brian). Lou falls madly in love with Jackie in an instant. Jackie is training for a fitness show in Vegas. Lou finds a way to connect with Jackie by giving her drugs to help buff up her muscles. This lapse in judgment will expose the audience to a world of many dangers.

The film caused me to boggle with many questions. Jackie works for Lou’s father at the gun range, so Lou tries to keep their relationship hidden. Another trouble in Lou’s life involves her sister Beth (played by Jena Malone) and her abusive husband JJ (played by Dave Franco). Lou feels so close with her new-found love Jackie and maintains a close relationship with her sister Beth. However, Lou harbors deep hatred for both JJ and her father. With all the turmoil and drug experimentation,Jackie starts to spiral out of control. While Jackie keeps taking the injections to make her look strong and ferocious for her Vegas show, the drugs also fuel her anger and rage. Jackie’s love for Lou leads her to terrible and unforgivable choices which are so detrimental that Lou’s life of insanity and sadness are thrust into a deeper hole. Jackie’s drug-fueled choices set the wheels in motion for things to go terribly awry in Love Lies Bleeding.

The story is packed with treacherous moments and bad situations. At times due to the drugs, the film starts to feel like a David Lynch experience. Some of the more monstrous scenes are bad news for the audience, but at the same time create an invigorating atmosphere stimulated by all the troubles. I found myself thinking about other films where drug abuse is featured, including The Basketball Diaries and Thirteen. In these movies, youth and drugs do not mix well and eventually boil to a point where a illegal substances become intolerable. In this film, thebehaviors of Lou, Daisy, and Lou Sr. all eventually hit a point of no return. In the end, it is an audacious experience where the artistic value in regret, hate, and redemption are featured in a realistic way. There are times when it was all a bit eerie, but overall it’s worth seeing. Three-and-a-half out of four stars Love Lies Bleeding.

Film reviews

Cold Meat Review

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The cold, nerve-wracking scenery in Cold Meat gives viewers the chills and uncomfortable feelings of detrimental suspense.Written and directed by Sebastien Drouin, this thriller is a dark,anxiety-ridden narrative about a struggle for survival. The torrential danger in Cold Meat displays serious realism where personality and trust are tested. Cold Meat is a film that is stressful because it takes its audience by surprise and makes its think. Cold Meat’s direction is superb and relentless.

Cold Meat takes place in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. The film introduces its audience to David (played by Allen Leech). Allen stops by a diner for a meal. The waitress is Anna (played by Nina Bergman) and as she continues to look after taking David’s food order, her abusive and alcoholic ex-husband Vincent (played by Yan Tual) walks in. He belittles Anna and throws her under the bus. Vincent is one of the most verbally abusive and aggressive people imaginable. David witnesses the abuse and stands up for Anna. After overhearing the couple’s argument about the custody of their child, David puts Vincent in his place and says to Vincent, “So the real question is how much do you love your daughter?”

After this conflict, the film jumps to another scenario which is even more dangerous. Vincent follows David when he is driving. The weather is extremely treacherous with heavy snow and high winds. David’s car ends up stuck in the blizzard. When he gets out of his car to find safety, he realizes Anna is in the back of his car tied-up with duct-tape. The alarming premise of Cold Meat grows more challenging when David and Anna must figure out how to escape the snow and get out safely.

Cold Meat’s writing involves a trail of questions. How did Anna get tied up in David’s car? David’s car displays evidence that prompts questions about Anna’s safety. Did Victor put Anna in David’s Trunk? Did David put Anna in his trunk? Is David a hidden psychopath? Can Anna and David survive the blizzard? The anxiety in the treacherous situation displays unsmiling realism and creates conflicts. The picture painted makes it seem like it is the ex-husband who is the psycho in Cold Meat. By putting the pieces together, it appears that Vincent may not be the only one who is insane. The evidence in David’s car is shadyand includes pictures and IDs of other girls.  Anna fears for her life in the presence of David and the weather only makes their survival less likely. The reality of what is happening in Cold Meat is a deep adventure to find the truth.

The unforeseeable circumstances in a location where safety is not guaranteed makes for great suspense. Cold Meat contains unexpected realizations in a life-threatening situation. The scenes with Anna and David stuck in the car in a blizzard buildsuspense. Will someone survive? Will someone save them? Will the weather kill them both?

The faded lighting creates an environment which connects to the detrimental light of the situation. While the film’s opening contains a harsh dynamic between the characters, that dynamic only grows more serious. The film’s use of severe weather to create an impact on physical and mental conditions really sold me on Cold Meat. It is compelling and unpredictable. Three out of four stars for Cold Meat.

Film reviews

Shayda Review

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This film takes place in Australia in the year 1995 and writer and director Noora Niasari opens Shayda with racing thoughtsconsisting of turmoil and overwhelming moments. It is a scenario where having a better life will entail a mother taking risks. She is trying to find peace and discovers that escaping a troubling life comes with sacrifice and unexpected consequences. This is a story of a sheltered life that is eager for a fresh start.

Shayda is the name of the main character, and she is played by Zar Amir Ebrahimi. She is living in a shelter in Australia with her daughter Mona, played by Selina. Shayda is trying to provide normalcy for Mona—she does what she can to provide positive activities to promote a better mindset for her. They are in the shelter with other women and children. The environmentis set as a safe-haven, however the safety is questionable and there are always unsettling moments.

The holiday around the corner of the film is the Iranian new year…Nowruz. Shayda is spending the days leading up to that holiday in the shelter to maintain the safety of her daughter and herself from her soon-to-be ex-husband Hossein (played by Osamah Sami). Hossein is a narcissist and an outspoken individual. Shayda explores how a dramatic life shift and separation can create mental strife. It is a journey that keeps aconclusive atmosphere—Shayda needs to remain stable for the sake of Mona and to maintain a strong position in the legalitiesof her situation.  

As Shayda revisits moments in her divorce process, the devastation in her eyes belies detrimental  hopelessness. She maintains her loving mother’s attitude when she is with Mona. When Shayda deals with the dynamic stress, she lets out her feelings of heartache. She keeps to herself and limits her interactions with Hossein. The film brings up many questions. Is Shayda going to take custody of Mona? Are they going to have to do joint custody? Does Shayda understand that the situation is confusing and impenetrable for Mona? When Shayda must let Mona have time with Hossein, she is scared for her life. She fears she could lose Mona at any time.

The direction of Shayda also provides a view of life in the shelter. There is a dynamic of mothers with their children dealing with situations of abuse and neglect—they all want a new life outside of what they are suffering from. Shayda finds joy when she hangs out with Lara (played by Eve Morey) and Vi (played by Jillian Nguyen). Shayda also meets Farhad (played by Mojean Aria), and he is a nice guy that she feels is encouraging. The community around her reminds her to think of the holiday season of Nowruz. Despite all of what is going on, the holiday and the many people in her life fuel her confidence.

I find that the film explores themes of grieving and desperation. The shelter is the center for place of peace and well-being in Shayda. Shayda may be dealing with layers of inevitable conflicts with her Hossein, but the shelter is where she can feel at ease with her upsetting turmoil. This portrays a poetic dynamic of hardship fighting to find the light. The abusive pattern of Hossein is overwhelming. He is the most unbearable character in the film. There are moments where he devises manytactics to sabotage Shayda. He does this so he can have the upper hand in the arrangements of the divorce settlement. He also does so to make it seem like he is the better parent for Mona, although he clearly is not. Mona remembers to tell herself, “I am not afraid,” and faith is restored from the parenting of Shayda.

Despite all what Hossein tries to do, Shayda is always the one that will be the stronger and more shielding parent. There is that awareness of confidence that is written profoundly—the bitter situation forces her to climb to a brand-new reality. The suffrage throughout Shayda is long and crushing, however the bond of mother and daughter elevates the story to a more redemptive level.  Moments of Shayda’s past are ones where there is empathy for her situation with her daughter. Will they be alright? The domestic situation is one where the realism is gut-wrenching. Truly a vivid journey of love that is lost and found in different aspects of a blurred situation of conflict. Three-and-a-half out of four stars for Shayda.