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Bittertooth (2023)
Bittertooth Review
Hey folks! I'm a former film critic and yes, I do have personal and professional ties to the creative minds behind Bittertooth. So if you must, take my thoughts with a grain of salt.
I saw the film at this year's Golden State Film Festival. Looked and sounded fantastic on the big screen!
Clear inspirations from the original The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and as told by Monte Light himself, the John Hough classic American Gothic. All mixed in with a couple of true-crime podcasters.
I was most impressed with the editing on this project. The fact that when the ladies are filming their podcast, they're being recorded by a phone (for the podcast), by the camera (wide/medium/closeups) and then it's all intertwined together seamlessly -- it looks like it was a lot of heavy lifting putting it all together, but the edit is great.
My only gripe, and certainly nothing detrimental -- the second act pacing really sags. I never lost interest, but it's never a good thing when you're suddenly taken from a story because your mind has been allowed to wander. But as I've said in countless other reviews, the key is, "did you get me back?" And Bittertooth did.
Some gorgeous locations, drone work and overall cinematography from Neal Tyler. I commented to both Light and Tyler after the screening -- about a particularly STUNNING sequence. The weather Gods smiled upon the crew for some part of the shoot. A windy/rainy day. And propped up on the front porch, Joe Altieri strummed a guitar and sang "Just a Closer Walk w/ Thee"... all from a very low and lengthy angle -- Altieri on the porch swing, the breezy, rainy trees in the far background, and running up to the lens, the banister pieces of the porch. Gorgeous. And there were plenty of other momentous shots, that's just the one which really stuck out to me.
Performance-wise, everyone's pretty good (if sometimes inconsistent), but I must call out the exceptional work from both Joe Altieri and Helene Udy. Altieri is simply a natural. His choices on-screen always appear organic. He never seems to be "acting".
As for Udy, she's just a consummate pro. Her scene w/ her onscreen daughter (Genevieve Thomas -- as one of the two leads) is hypnotic. What's fascinating, is that it's a particularly LONG scene. And it's just the two women chatting on a podcast. But this particular mother/daughter relationship is wonderfully dynamic and a lot of revelations come out here. It's a truly great sequence.
My comparison for Monte's obvious upward momentum as a filmmaker, is how I reacted to Leonardo DiCaprio's performance in The Aviator. He always carried so much baggage for being "Leo" prior to that, and it was hard to separate his acting from his "in-the-spotlight" personal life. But in The Aviator, for the first time, I saw moments where Leo disappeared and I only saw the character. How that corresponds to Monte and his latest film -- not that Monte doesn't have a consistent voice, but I saw something up on the screen with transcended what I know and might expect from Monte. It took his work beyond "Hey, my buddy made a film" to "I'm seeing something new". This isn't meant to be an insult, only to illustrate that his prowess as a filmmaker/storyteller (certainly visually) is expanding. And isn't that what all artists want, to grow and defy expectation?
Bittertooth is not a perfect film (again, that pesky second act slump), but I was entertained and impressed with the visuals/locations and performances. And there's one effective jump scare, looking like something out of -- I don't know -- Aliens perhaps?
Well done to Monte and company. Keep moving up that creative ladder. Looking forward to those next steps!
As for you readers -- keep an eye out for Bittertooth.
You Go to My Head (2017)
2018 Film Festival Screening Review
(Please note: this is a review penned in the fall of 2018, following a screening at FilmQuest. The review was originally written for the now defunct website, Horror Freak News and published in the fall of 2018).
They're a rare breed.
A perfectly scored film from yours truly.
And this particular film ranked as my "Best of Fest" for the feature film offerings at this year's FilmQuest (the 5th Annual) in Provo, Utah. This screening was the film's Utah premiere.
You Go to My Head is something of an anomaly. It's an art-house flick, through and through, and yet it's also extremely engaging - through and through.
When Dafne (Delfine Bafort) wakes up from a devastating car accident in the middle of the desert, she has no idea where she is, who she is or where to go. On the verge of deadly dehydration, she is found by a man named Jake (Svetozar Cvetkovic), who nurses her back to health. The thing is, once Dafne regains consciousness (while still rife with amnesia), Jake tells her that he is her husband. He takes her back to his lavish desert home and they begin a life together - under these very false pretenses.
There are so many wonderful things throughout this film, but nothing will impress you more than the film's stunning cinematography (an award winner at FilmQuest). Shot entirely with natural light (no joke), every single frame of this film is a piece of art. Stop the film here - gorgeous and frame-worthy. Stop the film there - breathtaking and inspired. The Saharan desert locale (the film was shot in Morocco - at the architectural home of director Dimitri de Clercq's mother) has rarely been so beautiful captured.
Matching the jaw-dropping power of the film's award-winning cinematography, are the powerful performances from the film's two leads.
Bafort delivers a mesmerizing performance. She's fully nude for a great deal of the film - and if there was any discomfort from such a vulnerable performance, Bafort doesn't let on. Of course, she's got an extensive history in the modeling industry, so perhaps that experience empowered her for this brave role. She's free as Dafne (or Kitty - as Jake renames her). And watching Bafort surrender as "Kitty", and
eventually fall into what she believes is her real life - is a fascinating journey to watch. Along with said surrender, there is constant doubt. You'll never question Dafne's actions. I mean, what would you do?
There's nothing around to make you question what your "husband" has told you. There's so much beautiful nuance from Bafort - and you'll delight in following her on her journey of true self-discovery -
including all of the very emotional highs and lows she'll inevitably experience along the way.
The sly, yet endearing acting work from Cvetkovic matches the emotional power of Bafort's. Not knowing much about Jake's past, you'll never quite know what Jake's ultimate intentions are. But you're never without sympathy for Jake - right along with the inherent suspicion of him (taking Dafne's side on that level). It's a remarkable balancing act by Cvetkovic - impressive to feel so many battling things for one character.
And on the topic of character histories, we never truly get much background on Jake and Dafne (perhaps a very little bit for Dafne), and in this case (my reaction to "is it enough character history?" is taken on a film-by-film basis), I didn't need to know more than what the screenwriters provided. The past of these characters isn't necessary to understand the deep and almost cosmic connection they share.
There's a moment late in the film, where an early sequence of Dafne moving through the home - is repeated. Once you realize where the filmmaker is taking you in this "repeat sequence"... well, it's simply gasp-worthy. Again, in an "arty" picture, when you see something repetitive (taking advantage of the picturesque beauty of the film's main location), it may seem inconsequential. But the revelation at the scene's completion - was nothing short of brilliant.
The film is the pure definition of a "slow burn". And we all know that getting this right is a fine line. But taking such time (the film runs at almost 2 hours) only brings the audience deeper into the characters and their various complicated situations. A truncated version of this story would not have given us enough time to properly love these characters and to properly build to the film's final moments.
On that note, it's always a shock to realize the depths to which you'll become involved with any particular film. I was surprised to find myself in tears as the film came to a close - the stream of waterworks continuing all the way through the end credits and beyond.
The film's final revelations are touching and surprising. Not necessarily on the level of The Sixth Sense as far as "OMG" secrets, but still quite striking. It's not a direction you'll expect the film to take. And I loved that almost Shakespearean possibility - a terrific misdirection.
Visually, and certainly via the sometimes jarring score (Hacene Larbi) - you'll get a sense that the filmmakers were inspired by the work of Stanley Kubrick. Whether intended or not, there are even several "monolith-esque" structures on Jake's property.
The swimming pool is a central location for Dafne's new life. She's constantly relaxing in the calm waters of this architectural beauty. And when a crack is discovered in the pool's foundation, and the clear waters must be drained to address the issue - the subtle symbolism of this on-going act - had me nodding my head in appreciation.
It's not easy for me to award a film with a perfect score. As my tastes have changed, and as I've honed my ideas as a film critic - it's become apparent that a film can get everything right and still only garner a 4.5-star score (not a bad score, of course). To take that extra step into 5-star territory, a film must be an almost transcendental experience - something which goes beyond brilliant technical achievements.
A film has to move me.
And that is exactly what You Go to My Head did. I loved this film, and will go to the ends of the earth to proclaim such sentiments. When you experience something this moving and gorgeous and unique, you can't help but spread the word.
Of course, I can't expect that all audiences will agree with my take on the film. Again, it truly takes its time. And at its heart, You Go to My Head is a love story... albeit an odd (and if you really linger on it - a perverse) one.
Bottom line: You Go to My Head is an art-house film, taking turns which you'd never expect, which is also surprisingly accessible - a combination which is unusual. It's a unique love story. It's a psychological thriller. And it's a marvelous venue to show off the talents of so many gifted artists.
You Go to My Head is - from my perspective - a perfect film. It's a memorable masterpiece. In other words, it "went to my head".
And despite that tacky twist on the film's title, the film has lovingly
lingered in my brain - well over a week after the festival screening.
The film was nominated for multiple awards at the 2018 FilmQuest - including Best Picture, Best Director for a Feature - Dimitri de Clercq, Best Screenplay - Dimitri de Clercq, Rosemary Ricchio and Pierre Bourdy, Best Actor in a Feature - Svetozar Cvetkovic, Best Actress in a Feature - Delfine Bafort, Best Cinematography - Stijn Grupping (WIN), Best Editing in a Feature (secret nominee) and Best Score in a Feature.
You Go to My Head has done well on the international festival circuit.
No wider release information is yet available.