I am a fan of Jean-Claude Van Damme, and its more because I can see where he's come from than the repressiable 'Louisiana' accent he has the audiences endure. In every film, including this one, he's a hero, but in this piece, 'In Hell' he's more of a Snake-Plisken from 'Escape from New York', that being an anti-hero.
The film shows a different side of Eastern Europe, one of corruption and Anti-American sentiment which is all too true to be called dramatized in the film. Must of the tempo of this film is well planned, and the story progresses without a hitch. The choice to use this director was excellent, because he is a moody perfectionist. After viewing the featurette, I could see more clearly why I liked this piece so much. A lot of Hollywood fat has been trimmed off of this film in many scenes. The harsh realities of brutal homosexuality are put forth not to show gayness as the true villain, but power and the total abuse of it. Drag queens, jail cell rape scenes, and one scene stripping Van Damme of his wedding ring really strip the viewer of the safe non-incarcerated life.
The soundtrack is excellent, giving that 'Run Lola Run' techno-house feel, making the occasional use of an orchestra well placed. The sound effects in this piece are good to notice as well, because in some scenes sound plays more of a part of the film than the shots themselves. The shots are very tight, and are obscured at times because of the small studio space used but are perfect for the feeling of claustrophobia on so many levels. One scene even has a solitary confinement that Van Damme endures in where the floor has a release sewer flowing brown through his cell. This is contrasted by an excellent CGI element that makes the film probably work better than if it weren't included. A simple moth.
Aside from the moth, the film has a good cast of actors with well worked characters, which was my primary concern in renting this piece. I didn't want to be let down yet again by some poor action flick that had bad audio, video, and high school C movie acting. Some of the worst possible things that could happen do to everyone in this film, which is a constant reminder of why pain is entertainment, and why this film actually worked well.
The film shows a different side of Eastern Europe, one of corruption and Anti-American sentiment which is all too true to be called dramatized in the film. Must of the tempo of this film is well planned, and the story progresses without a hitch. The choice to use this director was excellent, because he is a moody perfectionist. After viewing the featurette, I could see more clearly why I liked this piece so much. A lot of Hollywood fat has been trimmed off of this film in many scenes. The harsh realities of brutal homosexuality are put forth not to show gayness as the true villain, but power and the total abuse of it. Drag queens, jail cell rape scenes, and one scene stripping Van Damme of his wedding ring really strip the viewer of the safe non-incarcerated life.
The soundtrack is excellent, giving that 'Run Lola Run' techno-house feel, making the occasional use of an orchestra well placed. The sound effects in this piece are good to notice as well, because in some scenes sound plays more of a part of the film than the shots themselves. The shots are very tight, and are obscured at times because of the small studio space used but are perfect for the feeling of claustrophobia on so many levels. One scene even has a solitary confinement that Van Damme endures in where the floor has a release sewer flowing brown through his cell. This is contrasted by an excellent CGI element that makes the film probably work better than if it weren't included. A simple moth.
Aside from the moth, the film has a good cast of actors with well worked characters, which was my primary concern in renting this piece. I didn't want to be let down yet again by some poor action flick that had bad audio, video, and high school C movie acting. Some of the worst possible things that could happen do to everyone in this film, which is a constant reminder of why pain is entertainment, and why this film actually worked well.