Yes, if you expect this to be a Hollywood "gangster movie" with distinctly extreme highs and lows in the plot, you'll be extremely disappointed....but if you remember that White Boy Rick is just a human being, and this is a film about human beings struggling, you'll appreciate this film.
Reviews
5 Reviews
Mother!
(2017)
No, it's not like Rosemary's Baby At All. That's the point.
3 October 2017
*Spoilers ahead*
I'm seeing a lot of people say that this film is a rip-off of Rosemary's Baby.
They couldn't be more wrong. However, any similarities or allusions are clearly there to point out stark polar opposites.
In Rosemary's Baby, she is raped by an other world demon and MAYBE her husband. A depiction of physical rape.
In Mother! she is "raped" by her own husband taking her love for granted. She is also "raped" by the consequences of her own passive aggression. A depiction of emotional rape.
In Rosemary's Baby, she is impregnated with the spawn of Satan.
In Mother! she is essentially impregnated with a child of "God", given the clear contextual metaphor of Cain and Abel.
In Rosemary's Baby, the baby is destined to be a sacrifice.
In Mother! The baby is laid on the altar as a response to its demise and accidental death. This is CLEAR because the entire crowd in the house gasps in shock when the infant is killed. Intentions evolve as the father surrenders his will to the people by handing over his son.
In Rosemary's Baby, the husband doesn't have mommy issues. In Mother! the husband definitely has mommy issues, which is the reason he does everything he does.
He craves love and gives none in return. He is willing to compromise his own lifeblood if he knows it will make people happy. While he doesn't intend to sacrifice the infant, he doesn't take danger into account because of his unhealthy lust for approval.
Multiple times, the cinematographic work emphasizes the sincere momentary grief the husband has when his own child and wife are harmed. This is much different than the idea that he intentionally harmed either one of them from the beginning (which would be more along the lines of Rosemary's Baby)
See? It's polar opposites.
The metaphors are not convoluted. They all aid in expressing an inverse universe of Rosemary's Baby, and the writer did a great job of drawing out motivations as to how it all happens.
I'm seeing a lot of people say that this film is a rip-off of Rosemary's Baby.
They couldn't be more wrong. However, any similarities or allusions are clearly there to point out stark polar opposites.
In Rosemary's Baby, she is raped by an other world demon and MAYBE her husband. A depiction of physical rape.
In Mother! she is "raped" by her own husband taking her love for granted. She is also "raped" by the consequences of her own passive aggression. A depiction of emotional rape.
In Rosemary's Baby, she is impregnated with the spawn of Satan.
In Mother! she is essentially impregnated with a child of "God", given the clear contextual metaphor of Cain and Abel.
In Rosemary's Baby, the baby is destined to be a sacrifice.
In Mother! The baby is laid on the altar as a response to its demise and accidental death. This is CLEAR because the entire crowd in the house gasps in shock when the infant is killed. Intentions evolve as the father surrenders his will to the people by handing over his son.
In Rosemary's Baby, the husband doesn't have mommy issues. In Mother! the husband definitely has mommy issues, which is the reason he does everything he does.
He craves love and gives none in return. He is willing to compromise his own lifeblood if he knows it will make people happy. While he doesn't intend to sacrifice the infant, he doesn't take danger into account because of his unhealthy lust for approval.
Multiple times, the cinematographic work emphasizes the sincere momentary grief the husband has when his own child and wife are harmed. This is much different than the idea that he intentionally harmed either one of them from the beginning (which would be more along the lines of Rosemary's Baby)
See? It's polar opposites.
The metaphors are not convoluted. They all aid in expressing an inverse universe of Rosemary's Baby, and the writer did a great job of drawing out motivations as to how it all happens.
If you think this movie is bad, the Force is With You.
26 December 2015
Aside from the Classic Star Wars aesthetic that was very well incorporated in this new installment, there is really not much else to look forward to.
Most scenes felt like a repetition of the previous, with an exception to changes in atmosphere. Other than that, the same three- part pattern was there: Characters verbally narrate the "Why's" and "How's" of the story, nostalgic references or characters are thrown in to help the audience feel as if the story is more intricate or clever than it truly is. Finally, the characters find a way to transport themselves to another planet or place, and the pattern repeats itself over again.
In a way, the entire thing felt like an experimental development of the Star Wars Universe. There are numerous settings with a diverse range of characters, but the writing is bland, and most of the acting, except from Rey and Fin is mediocre at most. Numerous wide shots expound on well-thought out atmospheres, but this in no way justifies the lack of narrative depth.
Most scenes felt like a repetition of the previous, with an exception to changes in atmosphere. Other than that, the same three- part pattern was there: Characters verbally narrate the "Why's" and "How's" of the story, nostalgic references or characters are thrown in to help the audience feel as if the story is more intricate or clever than it truly is. Finally, the characters find a way to transport themselves to another planet or place, and the pattern repeats itself over again.
In a way, the entire thing felt like an experimental development of the Star Wars Universe. There are numerous settings with a diverse range of characters, but the writing is bland, and most of the acting, except from Rey and Fin is mediocre at most. Numerous wide shots expound on well-thought out atmospheres, but this in no way justifies the lack of narrative depth.
Dark Touch
(2013)
More like a Psychological Drama in a Psychic Universe
16 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
**DETAILED Spoiler Alert.**
I just finished watching Dark Touch, and overall I liked it. However, it was not in any way a traditional horror film. It was a psychological drama in a universe where psychic powers are natural, but a rarity because the only way they can be made manifest are under extreme emotional distress or harm.
In no way is this a far-fetched presumption as a viewer. The opening sequences focus much more on the psychological horror of conflict, and the sequences that follow emphasize the child's natural, common response to a traumatic experience. Enough time is spent magnifying these details, that when the psychic powers begin to manifest, it is clear that the writers have created a world where psychic powers are very natural occurrences. They are simply rare, and those who have not experienced them (in this case, the adults overseeing the children throughout), downplay the possibility that that they are even existent.
All that being said, this is precisely why I enjoyed the film. The writers managed to flourish aesthetically far-fetched horrors from an origin that is very universal and common to mankind (trauma). By doing this, the victim's powers and results thereof are not only very natural outcomes in the story, but for the viewers, they are visual metaphors of the devastating effects of trauma. Dark Touch is not a story about a psychopathic child with motives that emerge from childhood abuse. Moreso, The story establishes a universe, a broad premise, where psychic powers are not merely supernatural, but natural abilities that can be made manifest under extreme emotional distress. And if that distress involves another person, someone who caused the child harm, that perpetrator is going to suffer some very horrific consequences.
And not only the perpetrator, but anyone or anything else who for the child triggers any sort of resemblance to the original perpetrator or the perpetrating circumstance (the children playing with the dolls at the birthday party are symbolic psychological triggers, and the Niamh's new caretakers, after having become physically aggressive just once are also triggers). The entire causation of Niamh's psychic response is very naturally psychological in nature. That's what is so eerie about the entire story. Were every child able to express their repressed emotion and subconscious disruption after a trauma similar to Niamh's, perhaps our world wouldn't be much different than Dark Touch.
I just finished watching Dark Touch, and overall I liked it. However, it was not in any way a traditional horror film. It was a psychological drama in a universe where psychic powers are natural, but a rarity because the only way they can be made manifest are under extreme emotional distress or harm.
In no way is this a far-fetched presumption as a viewer. The opening sequences focus much more on the psychological horror of conflict, and the sequences that follow emphasize the child's natural, common response to a traumatic experience. Enough time is spent magnifying these details, that when the psychic powers begin to manifest, it is clear that the writers have created a world where psychic powers are very natural occurrences. They are simply rare, and those who have not experienced them (in this case, the adults overseeing the children throughout), downplay the possibility that that they are even existent.
All that being said, this is precisely why I enjoyed the film. The writers managed to flourish aesthetically far-fetched horrors from an origin that is very universal and common to mankind (trauma). By doing this, the victim's powers and results thereof are not only very natural outcomes in the story, but for the viewers, they are visual metaphors of the devastating effects of trauma. Dark Touch is not a story about a psychopathic child with motives that emerge from childhood abuse. Moreso, The story establishes a universe, a broad premise, where psychic powers are not merely supernatural, but natural abilities that can be made manifest under extreme emotional distress. And if that distress involves another person, someone who caused the child harm, that perpetrator is going to suffer some very horrific consequences.
And not only the perpetrator, but anyone or anything else who for the child triggers any sort of resemblance to the original perpetrator or the perpetrating circumstance (the children playing with the dolls at the birthday party are symbolic psychological triggers, and the Niamh's new caretakers, after having become physically aggressive just once are also triggers). The entire causation of Niamh's psychic response is very naturally psychological in nature. That's what is so eerie about the entire story. Were every child able to express their repressed emotion and subconscious disruption after a trauma similar to Niamh's, perhaps our world wouldn't be much different than Dark Touch.
The House of the Devil
(2009)
Feels like a Tale, Not a redundant set of Scare Tactics
15 September 2015
Here's why I enjoyed this film: It unfolded as a tale, as opposed to a number of sporadic horrific moments in a stereotypical creepy atmosphere. The orchestral soundtrack is utterly classic, clothed in a vintage film aesthetic.
There are definitely sequences that reminded me of Rosemary's Baby in terms of the pacing of cuts and camera movements. The acting is done very well. Plenty of intricate facial expressions that don't seem overdone as in many horror films.
If you are looking to have a story told to you, rather than a series of over-the-top grotesque extremities (although there is a share of them all at the right time), you will enjoy this film.
There are definitely sequences that reminded me of Rosemary's Baby in terms of the pacing of cuts and camera movements. The acting is done very well. Plenty of intricate facial expressions that don't seem overdone as in many horror films.
If you are looking to have a story told to you, rather than a series of over-the-top grotesque extremities (although there is a share of them all at the right time), you will enjoy this film.
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