Gangleri – filmreviews

“From the writer and producer of The Crow”, “Edgar Allan Poe’s Ligeia”. That is what the box says that I have here laying besides me and I fell for it. When trying to find the poster and IMdB info I had to conclude that this is all a bit too promising. The story is losely based Poe’s “Ligeia” and the person who turned the story into a filmscript (John Stirley) also worked on the story of The Crow 15 years ago. The director is a debutant and when the original title would have been on the box, I doubt I would have taken it from the shelve. Staininger seems to have tried to make some kind of updated gothic horror. The result is not really boring, but nothing above average either. The story is thin, but alright, the images and special effects are too. A young woman does anything for eternal life and drags a professor of literature with an interest in “the macabre” into her experiments. Nothing you should go out to see, but not a complete waste of time should you see it.

I got this film in the library and there was some confusion with another film called “The Horseman” by Steven Kastrissios. That film is described as a drama that becomes a thriller and eventually a Saw-like cruel horror. I am not interested in these Saw-clones and for “(The) Horsemen” by Åkerlund my expectations were for a nice, Scandinavian thriller. From the first minute it is clear that this film is but another American thriller/horror in the tradition of “Se7en” with moralistic serial murders with a Biblical theme, but updated with some unlikely and cruel torture-killings in the Saw-style. Nothing special in story, nothing special in filming, a boring film in a boring filmgenre of which I do not understand the popularity.

This film has been on my wish-list for a while, but not for 17 years I guess? “Clean, Shaven” is an impressive film which looks in the head of the schizophrenic Peter Greene. Hypnotic images, a ‘dark ambient / noise’ soundtrack, alternated with relatively ‘normal filming’. The film is quite bloody at times and highly suggestive. In fact, the box suggests another twist to the story than what I thought of it myself. “Clean, Shaven” is a very nice watch for people who enjoy watching another kind of film.

I actually wanted to see Øie’s last film “Skjult”, but my regular rental does not have it (yet) and so I came home with an older film. “Dark Woods” is a bit of a “Blair Witch” in which a group of people travel through a forest, of course resulting in fear and terror. The atmosphere is good, these Scandinavians know how to create filthy pressure. “Villmark” might not be a masterpiece, but when you feel like looking a dark thriller (“Villmark” never really becomes a horror), this is one recommended.

Oh boy. Instead of looking for titles from my wishlist, we rushed in and out our very regular rentalshop with three titles. I hope the other two are not as awfull as this one… Giving away everything in the tagline on the box, “The Killing Room” is yet another film about a psychological experiment trying to create “psychological stress” for the viewer. The film is predictable, boring and an utter waste of time.

Unfortunately I had to watch this film on a laptop, so the sound- and videoexperience are probably not what they should have been. Moreover the film is slow and vague and I think I have missed a thing or two. The story seems to be about a group of men who have to establish the borders between Russia and Sweden (or Finland?) after a 25 years war. Eerik has fought in the bloody was and his younger brother Knut did not. During their travels the group stumbles upon a mysterious village with an even more mysterious sauna. Eerik’s past seems to come hunting him.
“Sauna” has a very pressing and mysterious atmosphere using grim images of the present and dark images for flashbacks to tell a story that I did not entirely comprehend. It looks very nice, but I need to see it again on a bigger screen and with better sound some time.

Last week I reviewed Du Welz’ previous film, the very nice and weird “Calvaire”. “Vinyan” is more of a Hollywood production, a lot less interesting, quite disappointing even actually. After long opening titles comes an impressive dark scene which I think represents the tsunami that is the starter of the story. After this the real film begins and we follow Paul and Jeanne Bellmer whose son was swallowed by the tsunami. Especially Jeanne cannot accept the death of her son (whose body was never found), so they remain in Thailand to look for him. When Jeanne thinks she sees her son on film footage, Paul and Jeanne take an illegal route to Birma. Of course the local population takes advantage of the couple and slowly the two become crazy.
It seems as if Welz tried to do the same as he did with “Calvaire”, a film that begins ‘normal’ and becomes dark and weird. The problem is that even with Rufus Sewell and Emmanuelle Béart (both very experience actors) the acting remains unconvincing taking the whole film down. The not too interesting story and quite silly ‘scary part’ towards the end do not help. The few dark experiments are nice, but I think Welz aimed for a larger audience with “Vinyan” making it an unrecommended film for the lovers of strange films. I do not know what the Hollywood thriller audience would think of this film.

“Calvaire” (or “the Ordeal” as the international title goes) starts as a ‘normal’ film in which an artist gets stuck somewhere in the Ardennen (the Belgian mountainous area). His path leads to a remote inn where Marc is taken in friendly by Bartel, the owner. It is a strange character (Boris) who leads him there, but Marc does not think much of that yet. Bartel gives Marc shelter, breakfast and offers to fix his truck. Meanwhile Marc takes a walk, stumbles upon a near village where he witnesses a strange excess of the local population. Returning to the inn, not only Bartel, but also the film gets stranger and stranger. “Calvaire” brilliantly derails with incomprehensible characters, violence and nightmarish scenes. Nothing much can be made of the characters after a while and the film suddenly ends. Indeed, this film is pretty disturbing and pretty good. “Calvaire” reminds me a bit of “Mørke“, but where “Mørke” remains a drama, “Calvaire” is closer to horror. For the lovers of the weird stuff.

“Tenderness” is a good film about Eric Poole who is released from juvenile penitentiary (convicted for murdering his parents) when he reaches the age of 18. Two people are obsessed with this young man and a nice drama develops with thriller and roadmovie elements. Polson does not fill in all the details, so parts of the story have to be filled in by the viewer which in my opinion is a good thing. The atmosphere and the acting are good, the story (based on a novel) original.

A not too good attempt of Velle to make his first English film. That is to say, the film begins quite good. Mike lives in the maffia society of Brooklyn, New York where he tries to lead a life as normal as possible. He works at a shady taxi service to make money to follow classes photography which seems to work out well. He is sucked down the drain of his native community and “The Narrows” takes a serious downturn with the obliged surprise knockout towards the end. Too bad. I wonder why directors still think they have to surprise their audience with unconvincing plot turns. The rest of the film is not bad at all.