Review: Il Fungo Sirena

Director - Stefan Archetti

Goats, cheese, mushrooms, and a sleepy Italian village during the summer holidays is the setting for Il Fungo Sirena (The Mermaid Mushroom), directed by Stefan Archetti.

The story revolves around Saverio and Augusto, two young boys living with their aunt and uncle following the deaths of their parents in a car accident. Over the course of a single summer we watch both boys develop. Alongside this, the return from the United States of a former villager sets tongues wagging in the community before both plots clash into each other.

There is a lot to like about the film. The Italian Alps and village look wonderful, and if for nothing else, the film is something of a love letter to the area. The plot it has to be said is very loose, with no real spine. It is a film about a community more than it is about the individuals within it. Whether an audience would have the patience for this at the films current running time remains to be seen.

The film reaches a natural conclusion but there is still some 15 minutes to go after that. Some sharper editing, not only at the end but during the film itself, would work in its favour. At present it feels like the director is unwilling to lose scenes that he is in love with. A more brutal editor could clear up the narrative and really improve the piece.

Notwithstanding this, Archetti demonstrates a lot of potential and is someone to watch in the future.

For more information on Il Fungo Sirena please visit the official website - click

Review: Exhibit A

http://www.vimeo.com/6681213

Writer/Director
Dom Rotheroe

Starring
Bradley Cole, Angela Forrest, Brittany Ashworth, Oliver Lee, Jason Allen

While the concept of a film being based on ‘found’ footage of shocking events has been part of our cinematic language for many years now, few have worked as effectively as Exhibit A.

The film revolves around the audience watching footage from a young girl’s camcorder which has been recovered from a murder scene, the specific details of which are not revealed until the final moments.

It should be noted that the above is not a spoiler as, in a well thought out move, Writer/Director Dom Rotheroe clues the audience in with a title card during the film’s opening. We become part viewer and part analyst, looking at scenes of seemingly domestic bliss with clinical eyes, trying to find the clues which we know will lead to murder. Rotheroe throws in plenty of red herrings, possible motivations and plot strands to keep us off balance.

Fortunately, unlike many horror and crime films, the perpetrator is a logical choice and their actions carry with them the weight of inevitability that many films avoid for the sake of a shock reveal.

The use of natural sound and light adds another layer to the film. Before you think that low budget cameras mean ineffective scenes, there is a truly nerve shattering moment with night vision that holds it’s own against many big budget films.

The performances are compelling yet natural. You believe that this is a functioning family unit which has its fair share of bickering, but nothing out of the ordinary. Bradley Cole gives an extraordinary performance as the father of the family, a practical joker who treasures relics from the classic comedians and tries to keep a brave face even when his world is falling all around him. Brittany Ashworth, who plays the daughter whose video sets the wheels of the story in motion in more ways than one, gives a complex and at times touching performance. Both of these actors anchor the film, and the final gut wrenching minutes would not be nearly as strong without their performances.

If there was any justice in the world, the scene where the family jokingly tries to fake a clip for “You’ve Been Framed” would be considered one of the best of the year.

This is a special piece of work and you should all try and seek it out immediately. A great effort from all involved.

Rob Girvan

For more information on Exhibit A please visit the official MySpace page - click

Do you have an indie film you want us to review? If so drop us an email at james@indieflicks.co.uk

Review: Ouija Board

Director/Writer
Matt Stone

Starring
Nick Smithers, Marysia Kay, Ross Maxwell, Georgia Goodrick

Horror fans are the most dedicated bunch of film fans on the planet. They will happily plough their way through the ?5 low budget horror movie selection in their local ASDA, trying to find a gem. There’s a lot of horror out there and, more than any other genre, the vast majority of it is flat out terrible. In this digital film age you can make something for 5p, throw some ketchup on a couple of people, create an eye catching title and DVD cover, and watch the cash flow in. This is nice for the producers, but somewhat disappointing for audiences.

However the horror fan will continue in their quest for that entertaining 90 minutes. Why do they do this? Partly because many of the great horror movies have come from a low budget background. From The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, to Halloween and the more recent Blair Witch Project, low budget does not always mean bad. But for every one of these great films there are thousands of stinkers. These films tend to have far less gore, horror and scares that the covers claim. They will often have a lack of understanding of the basic elements needed to make a successful genre film. And most annoyingly, they will insist on long scenes of characters talking about things which we couldn’t care less about.

I would like to report that Ouija Board falls into the small group of successful horror films, but sadly it doesn’t. The basic plotline is as follows: five young friends are heading for a weekend away in the Scottish countryside when they seem to hit a girl on the road. From there a series of events occur involving spirits and possession and the (very occasional) splashing of blood.

As you will have perhaps gleaned, this is not an original film. But that shouldn’t matter. What happens on the ghost train isn’t as important as who is in charge of the ride. The horror genre is the one place where people watch and appreciate craftsmanship - be it the kills, the direction, or the performances of the actors. Plot and originality are not high on the audience’s list. But even here the film falters. You want the film to get the basics right. Get the friends together, play a game on the board and then see them get picked off one by one, but we don’t get that here. The pacing is all off and nothing approaching exciting happens until the final minutes, when everything comes to a sudden, and disappointing, head.

Director/writer Matt Stone has said in interviews that he has studied low budget chillers to see where they failed. The single most important thing about a horror film is the pacing  - it should build to a climax that people pay attention to. Usually the first third of a film is used to create atmosphere, but in this film we start with people in a car talking about nothing in particular. This can cripple a horror film. I do not suggest that you need a kill or a scare, but you do have to build up a sense of apprehension. Texas Chainsaw Massacre drew up the blueprint for low budget horror - watch how it starts on a slow burn and just piles on tension until the terror of Leatherface is revealed.

Low budget does not have to mean a lack of effort. The cover of the DVD suggests you are in for a gore fest. Sadly there is little blood and the kills are all done off camera, obviously as a cost saving measure. This could have been forgivable, if it had been done with any subtly. Showing a weapon swinging down, cutting away for a second and then cutting back shows a real lack of craftsmanship.

The actors, due to having some really awful scenes of dialogue, can’t really rise to the occasion and frankly look bored at times. Another lesson in writing in the horror genre is that no one likes to be sat down every ten minutes and have the plot explained to them. The best horror films have a forward momentum. Each crisis in the film should reveal a little more about the characters though their actions rather than having specific scenes laying out their motivations, hopes and dreams. No one cares about that. Please just scare us!

The music, which is the most interesting part of the film, overwhelms everything. There is even an attempt to use the music to elicit a scare. As a separate entity it is fine, but the way it is threaded into the film really makes it grating rather than frightening.

I was impressed by the quality of the film. It looks great for a low budget flick and should give inspiration for filmmakers wanting to do something daring and interesting on a shoe string. Sadly Ouiji Board delivers neither of these things. The fundamental problem with this film lies with the script. It is clunky and dull. Matt Stone apparently spent four years developing this film. You would have hoped that he would have put the script in front of someone who knew what they were talking about, before embarking on self financing this venture.

With Halloween fast approaching people will be looking for a scary film. Sadly this is not a scary film.

Rob Girvan

For more information on Ouija Board please visit the official website - click

Review: 5:13

Director
Aravind Abraham

Writers
Arivind Abraham and Kieth Leong

Starring
Samantha Tan
Iki Putra

Malaysia, 1996. Vivien (Tan) awakens on the night of her wedding anniversary to find that not only is she in the middle of a blackout, but also a radio frequency is transmitting what seems to be an emergency broadcast. Her concerns for her absent journalist husband are far from quelled by strange noises coming from outside, coupled with the abrupt arrival of hubby’s best friend Ash (Putra) – who bears a strange message and seems to know more about the current situation than he’s at first letting on. As the night draws on, old wounds between the two are re-opened and the situation outside the house seems to be worsening…

Abraham’s sophomore feature is a curious blend of politically-minded domestic drama and paranoid invasion flick. It’s not an overtly obvious coupling, but at times it works surprisingly well. Luke Yerbury’s gloomy, foreboding cinematography matches the strong sound design to suggest something deeply sinister outside Vivien’s four walls, and Abraham ratchets up the tension nobly using a single location. The film’s pace falters occasionally, as long dialogue-intense scenes punctuate the anxiety. It’s with these scenes that the surface of our characters are scratched away, revealing a relevant back-story that may have serious consequences on the film’s outcome. The two leads cope admirably enough, with special plaudits going to Tan’s conviction as the frightened and confused Vivien.

Although in context it refers to a specific time, the film’s title also happens to reference May 13th – the date in 1969 on which the Sino Malay riots broke out in Kuala Lumper, launching a national state of emergency. Abraham and Jeong’s script insinuates something similar or - given the mention of a prophetic bohmoh’s involvement – something worse is underway outside the house. It’s a deft political nod that typifies the film’s melding of the real to the fantastic, and suggests that such further attempts at genre cross-pollination may reap greater rewards.

Neth Knowles

Do you have an indie film you want us to review? If so drop us an email at james@indieflicks.co.uk

Review: Dance With Me

Director/Writer

Sasha C. Damjanoyski

Starring

Joanne Murdoch

Adam Napier

Jane Stanton

A married couple try and get away from it all at their summer home in order to enjoy a few weeks of self introspection, misery and that most bitter of diseases – the malaise of middle class life.

Newcomer Sasha C. Damjanoyski, who serves as both writer and director, has created characters for which I am not sure that even he has much sympathy. The film is centred on Neil (Adam Napier) and Alice (Joanne Murdoch), a couple faced with a number of troubles. Neil suffers from a mysterious illness that makes him come across as the most self centred man in the universe. Alice spends her days trying to escape into music and dance.

In the blurb for the film we are told that “there is no doubt of their love for one another”, but boy, you could have fooled me. They seem to be together for dependency rather than for love. They enable each others misery.

When they speak it is with the clinical appraisal of scientists assessing a species of plant life. Looking off into the distance, Neil sneers at the world with a disdain which withdraws any sympathy you may have had for him, and attempts to undercut this with humour sadly fall flat. Alice, while more driven, is so closed off that any characters who reach out to her are met with coldness.

Their friend, Lizzie (Jane Stanton), feels more grounded and generally much more upbeat than the others. Unsurprisingly both Neil and Alice seem to regard her as an inconvenience. To Alice, her friend’s relationship problems pale in insignificance to the trials that she herself suffers from. Thankfully, Lizzie is the key for the audience that this couple and their situations are ridiculous.

The actors for the most part do good work, although it feels like the script was going for a more rat-a-tat-tat style of verbal sparring than what we see on screen and Murdoch occasionally seems uncomfortable with some of the swearing that she is required to say.

Damjanoyski’s writing appears to be aiming to make a statement on the strength of relationships and the importance of facing reality. Unfortunately many moments of the script feel forced and what are suppose to be amusing asides come across more as whining at the world. Neil at times feels like a middle class Alf Garnett. Organic foods, family pack shampoos and not greeting guests at the door all suffer from his wrath.

There is also an unnecessary “tell, don’t show” aspect about the script. At one point we see Neil appearing and telling Alice something about her dancing which the film was already doing a good job of conveying visually. The direction is well done, giving the audience the feeling of being in the same room as Alice and Neil, and there is some beautiful location shooting.

Will Alice and Neil make it? In the end you come away with the feeling that these people are destined to spend the rest of their lives together, miserable and without passion. But you know what? I think that deep down they wouldn’t have it any other way.

Rob Girvan

For more information on Dance With Me please visit the official website - click

Stay tuned to IndieFlicks for an interview with Sasha to discuss his time in film and the experience he had whilst making Dance With Me.

Review: The Agent

The Agent

Director

Lesley Manning

Writer

Martin Wagner

Starring

Stephen Kennedy

William Beck

Everyone has an idea for a story. A germ. For most people it never develops into anything more than a brief afternoon’s flight of fancy. For those that have the writing itch, only a few will ever be published, and of them, even fewer will become established authors, and even then only an elite will enter that pantheon of writers who manage to transcend death.

Between many of these steps are the agents. They guard the hype, the success and reputation of authors. They are as much a consumer as we are. They protect and guide those who have “made it” while at the same time being on the lookout for the talent that will one day replace them.

The eternal struggle between art and commerce and the subsequent wicked web of interdependent relationships forms the central theme of The Agent, a drama set in the business side of the literary world.

I have not yet had the pleasure of experiencing what appears to be a depressing, and at times gruelling, process of trying to become a published writer, but I suspect that people such as Writer/Producer Martin Wagner have a few war stories to tell.

The film is focused almost entirely on Stephen (Stephen Kennedy), a writer looking for a break in an industry that places appearances above talent, and agent Alexander Joyce (William Beck), a man who is good at what he does, but places marketability above all else.

It would be discourteous to reveal the twists and turns that occur between these characters. You may be surprised to find yourself taking Alexander’s side from time to time - as an audience we are naturally predisposed to cheer on the artist. However Stephen, while passionate, is naïve, and his inbuilt self flagellation shows a man unable to decide what he wants from life.

“Thousands!” he exclaims when asked if he believes if there are any great books that haven’t yet been discovered. In our technological age, exposing people to your writings is not difficult. Stephen, if he truly sees himself as an artist above all else, would not be concerned about book deals. But he is. Commerce triumphs over all.

Kennedy gives Stephen an everyman quality. His appearance and cries for the artist to be respected could have come across as cliché, but he gives the character just the right amount of warmth that balances out the self belief and self doubt that fluctuates within the character.

Beck presents Joyce with the recognisable traits of a hotshot, take no prisoners agent, but does enough that we don’t dislike him, even when he demonstrates his mean streak. For this agent, it is not enough securing deals for his clients. He must hold mastery over their careers.

Wagner has managed to create a well paced script. It does have some flab in the middle section and when the characters move out of the office it feels like water is being tread, but these scenes are kept buoyant by the performances. Meanwhile, director Lesley Manning (who terrified this eight year old with Ghostwatch, the famous BBC hoax documentary) keeps the shots almost entirely focused on the two leads, giving the film a stripped down feel.

In these days of Richard and Judy book clubs and the intense public interest in the ghost written books of celebrities, it seems that the ability of newcomers to enter into what is at the end of the day, a profit driven industry, is more difficult than ever.

Rob Girvan

The Agent is released on September 18. For more information please visit the official website - click