aretel's Reviews

Where Angels Fear to Tread (1991)

6/10

A grave shadow on the English middle class culture.

26 March 2020

Good period film with dissatisfying outcome. Doesn't put the Edwardian English middle class in a complementary light. Disgusting actually, which begs me to ask the question, "was British society in those days completly void of empathy and moral ethics?".

Great cast and cinematography.

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A.M.I. (2019)

2/10

Horrible cheap attempt at a remake horror!

3 November 2019

This film lacks any original plot and or sub plots. The opening scene was the only redeemable part of this film. From there, the story goes nuclear.

In short, it was a RIP off from the film Christine, instead of a car the writer tried to update it by using a cell phone instead. Add a few slasher scenes and that is all you really have; a cheap horror wannabe remake.

I would write further about the lack of character development, the bad acting and writing, but that would take too much effort and would just add to minutes I would never get back.

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Back Roads (2018)

3/10

A painfully slow death...

22 May 2019

I had high hopes for this film, however, within the first five minutes I knew it was going to be an arduous experience. There is a term in the film industry call "a slow burn", which describes a film as slow moving, but with a plot that is palatable and engaging. This film did not have the spark big enough to create a "slow burn" that was needed. Simply said, this film was a dud. This was Alex Pettyfer's first attempt at directing and I know personally, but indirectly, how challenging this can be. Someone should have warned Alex that directing and starring in your first film, unless you are experienced in both capacities, is a recipe for failure and watching this film proves my point. So why did this film fail? The film's very slow pace and disjointed plot did not provide the viewer with a coherent sense of engagement. The film's slow pace made it difficult to understand the basic premise of the plot, as it was not clear how each scene was significantly related to the next. Sex scenes were "parachuted" into the film without any context or significance, adding to the disjointedness of this film. However, more disturbing to me was that it wasn't clear if all the sex scenes were consensual, which in the "me too movement" doesn't exactly convey the right message. If this film was expected to be cerebral and thought provoking, then it failed miserably. In fairness to Alex Pettyfer, the film's failings had nothing to do with his acting performance, which was admirable, strong and convincing, and he was rightly cast for the part. In general, the whole cast gave very good performances, which leads me to believe that either the writing or the directing was this film's Achilles heel. Disclaimer: I only managed to make it through 49 minutes of this film, so my review is based on the first 49 minutes. If you do decide to watch this film and make it past the 49 minute mark, then kudos to you for having more patience and stamina than I did.

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Sierra Burgess Is a Loser (2018)

3/10

Shame on you Lindsey Beer!!!

17 September 2018

Warning: Spoilers

This film is so wrong for so many reasons and writer Lindsey Beer should be ashamed of the message she perpetuates with this film! People of size have to overcome so many obstacles in life, and this film does nothing to make them feel better about themselves.

Tragically, this film is written for a young "teenage" audience, who are very impressionable, and it teaches them that it is okay to be deceitful, manipulative, mean and vengeful.

High school is difficult enough for teenagers, and films should inspire them to be comfortable in their own skin and to be their own person. This film does everything, but that.

Lindsey Beer, the writer, implies that if you are over weight and perhaps not as pretty as some of the other girls at school, that you will, somehow, be rewarded with your "dream" date if you deceive and lie, by pretending to be someone else on a "text" chat, where you can manipulate images you send.

The outcome of the film is not even remotely plausible. The writer makes Sierra Burgess a horrible, immature and extremely vengeful character. There is very little sympathy to be garnered for this character. Who in their right mind would think it is okay for an adolescent girl to behave in this manner, be forgiven for what she had done and to end up with the boy she so cruelly deceived and manipulated. The real victim in this film is Jamey, but the film does not address this. It is just a horrible and reprehensible message to impressionable teenagers!

The cast was exceptional, especially Shannon Purser, Kristine Froseth, and Noah Centineo, all of whom gave convincing performances.

This is definitely not a film I would want kids to see.

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Lost Solace (2016)

3/10

A lackluster thriller that could have been better

3 December 2016

I was at the Whistler Film Festival this weekend (December 2016) and I was quite keen on seeing a locally produced film called "Lost Solace". The film was billed as a SciFi thriller. The premise of the film was in short, very intriguing and fresh. The screenplay, however, was very disappointing as character development throughout the film proved to be slow, disjointed and difficult to follow. This may also have been attributed to the extremely slow pacing of the film. Writers Andrew Jenkins and Chris Scheuerman started out with a great idea but failed to develop that idea into a palatable script.

Andrew Jenkin's performance as the dashingly handsome but disturbed narcissist/psychopath, Spence, was remarkably dull, and uninteresting. He performed his lines as though he was reading a script "run through" for the very first time. Andrew Jenkins wasn't terrible and he was appropriately cast as he is just as handsome in person as he is on screen, but his performance lacked the energy needed to exemplify the true complexity of his character's personality and the inner self that was destroying him. However, I find it unfortunate when a film relies solely on an actor's good looks to carry the film through a script that was anything but exciting, let alone thrilling.

Charlie Kerr's character, Jory a mentally disturbed brother of Spence's next victim, Azaria (Melissa Roxburgh), was simply overplayed. Kerr's opening scene with his shrugged shoulders and distorted facial expressions were just creepy and failed to enhance the suspense the film had intended for this character.

Melissa Roxburgh's (Azaria) performance made her character believable. Her lines and character development, although scripturally challenging played the naïve love interest of Spence, with delicate softness and naivety which was not perceived as being disingenuous but real.

The real winner of this film was Thomas Billingsley, the director of cinematography. His shots were fluid and crisp, where camera angles, set lighting and special effects were strategically placed to successfully enhance the visuals of this film. Billingsley executed his expertise in filmmaking admirably which resulted in giving this film a sense of professionalism that you would normally only see with big budget projects.

In summary, the film was disappointing to watch. Unfortunately, great cinematography and beautiful actors aren't enough to keep me interested in watching this film to the end.

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The Code (2014–2016)

7/10

Thrilling but loses steam in later episodes

16 May 2015

It took me several episodes to get intrigued enough to continue watching this Australian TV series based on political control within the Australian government which is reminiscent of the Dick Chaney "Whitehouse" cover up years regarding WMDs.

The first few episodes were extremely slow due to plot development, but forgivable as it is probably indicative of what life is really like Down Under in Canberra and the outbacks of Australia. It was not until I saw episode 3 when I decided to invest more time in this better than average production.

The plot is strong enough to gain interest early in the episodes, but started to wain in the latter parts of the series.

The show was well cast and many of the actors gave strong performances including the leads Spielman and Zukerman . However, having said this, I felt that Zukerman's character, Jessie, was over the top irritating. Zukerman did an admirable job in developing his character early on in the series, but one has to wonder if he had to chronically snort chili peppers during each scene in order to personify this character who was mildly autistic (constant tearing, with chronic red eyes and runny nose). His performance became progressively grating and contrived, which made it difficult to watch the scenes he was in without wanting to slap him over the head. I understand Zukerman won the Australian best actor TV award for this role, so perhaps I was the only one that felt this way.

I gave this show a 7 because it has merit early on and is well worth seeing until you get bored or just tired.

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Earthlickers (2014)

4/10

Daring and over the top, but falls terribly short of being a good film

7 December 2014

EARTHLICKERS 2014

Selected as part of the short work showcase at this year's Whistler Film Festival, this film fails miserably in its ability to provide the audience with any sense of entertainment. I believe the purpose or this film was to empower women on a whole new level, but instead it sets women's movement back a full century. Women's Suffrage founders Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony would roll over in their graves if they knew that their movement for women's rights had come down to this film's disparaging depiction of powerful women of the future.

Writer Alison Araya's script does nothing to empower women, but instead regresses women's stature and uses sex in stead of brains as their weapon of choice to make futuristic changes on earth. The script made very little sense and the stylized acting in this film only added to the film's misery.

The production quality of this film is very good as are some of the special effects, which is probably the film's only saving grace. This is a film that you will either really like or really hate. It's daring and over the top, but unfortunately not my cup of tea.

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The Jogger (II) (2013)

7/10

Hilariously entertaining!

7 December 2014

The Jogger 2014

This short film exemplifies the challenges of weight loss and does it well in a comedic genre that is well worth seeing. This film was selected as part of the short work showcase at this year's Whistler Film Festival. The production quality was admirable, using simple camera work to effectively capture actor Michael Paterson's comedic character .

Writer and director Jay Randal was able to portray the dark side of a weight loss program effectively in his short film, by brilliantly casting Michael Paterson as an unhealthy over weight caricature to depict the imagery of a person going out of his mind when deprived of food and exercising at the same time.

Paterson is extremely funny and portrays the main character with as much grace as the likes of Chris Farley and other comedic actors of that caliber. A very funny short film.

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I Love You Renato (2012)

8/10

A complicated but passionate love triangle between 2 boys and a girl

20 August 2014

Although I do not speak or understand Portuguese, this film is so well done, that it is not difficult to follow the story line. The relationship between Beto, Andre and Adriana is convincing and moving due to the profound chemistry that exists between the three actors. Vinícius Moulin Allemand, Ingrid Conte and Felippe Vaz is what gives this film life as their performances were right on the mark in portraying three young teenagers caught up in a complicated, yet passionate love triangle.

The supporting cast was equal to the task, specifically Beto's mother who provided effective comic relief even though I did not understand most of her dialogue in Portuguese.

The writing, cinematography and directing was superb. I didn't even mind the out of focus shots, which would otherwise be considered a distraction for me.

This is a film that worth watching even if you don't have subtitles.

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Into the Lion's Den (2011 Video)

1/10

Disgustingly Bad!!

3 July 2014

This definitely rates as one of the worst movies of all time. There is absolutely no talent being showcased in this movie. The only horrifying thing about this movie is a combination of bad acting, bad directing and bad, bad, bad writing!!

Both writer Philip Malaczewski and director Dan Lantz should apply for a refund for their post graduate schooling because if this film is any indication of what they learned in school, it was all for not!

This film merits no further comment other than that it was an utter waste of time! Time you will never ever get back!!

I was just informed by IMDb that my review had to be a minimum of 10 lines to be accepted. This is the 11th.

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The One (II) (2011)

3/10

Well acted, poorly written with an unsatisfying ending

3 July 2014

This film starts off well giving me an element of hope that this film might actually be good. But just as my expectations are lifted, the sledge hammer comes down hard crushing all hope of this film being somewhat entertaining.

The acting is good, but the writing doesn't do the actors justice. Even the best of actors couldn't make this film believable or plausible. There are too many stereo types written into the script which makes it tired, dated and so irritating to watch.

The casting was well done which was the only redeeming factor that made the film palatable to watch.

The ending of this film was, let me just say, very incomplete and unsatisfying. There really was no resolution except for the obvious.

A total bust in my opinion.

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Stranger by the Lake (2013)

2/10

If you think this is a good film...be prepared to be disappointed

3 June 2014

Warning: Spoilers

I gave this film a two for the acting and the cinematography, which I thought were the only redeeming factors of this film.

The plot is ill conceived and goes against all logic. I can understand a person living on the edge of life,toying with the thrill of danger and going out into the "deep end" (no pun intended), but this film fails miserably in its execution of trying to make this film a thriller. This film was referred to as having all the elements of a great Hitchcock classic, which is purely misleading and an insult to the great director's ingenious work. In Hitchcock's films there was a plausible reason why his characters would put themselves in danger, a purpose that is grossly lacking in this film, contributing to film's weak and implausible plot.

Regarding "gay cruising culture", it seemed that the director is conveying that most people who venture into a gay cruising area are either shallow, or too apathetic to their surroundings to notice or care that something's definitely not right on the beach. The fact that a pair of shoes and towel sitting alone on the beach for days without an owner doesn't raise concerns by the beach goers is unbelievable an unrealistic. Surely, someone with a good conscience would have been curious enough in real life and reported this to the authorities. Again, this contributes to the film's poor execution of the film's plot.

Patrick d'Assumçao was convincing and effective in his portrayal of Henri, and he brought a depth to his character as the reclusive stranger on the beach which the other characters lacked. Franck was, frankly speaking, boring and self absorbed, and very one dimensional.

The cinematography was excellent, but there were too many scenes that were long and tedious with nothing happening. It exhausted me to look at the numerous parking lot scene with very little occurring except for Franck driving up and parking his car. By the second scene of the parking lot, it was very predictable as to who was coming up the road to park their car, so the long length of time between nothing happening in the parking lot and the time it took Franck to drive into the area, did nothing to enhance the mystery of the movie. It was just frustrating to watch.

I'm not sure what the writer was trying to convey; lust clouds all reasonable judgement and reaction to a witnessed murder? If so, then the main character Franck lacked intelligence, apathy and common sense to realize that what he was getting involved with was not only stupid but also dangerous.

Henri a formidable character, becomes the "sacrificial lamb" of the film, but his death does nothing to make his death meaningful, nor does his actions protect Franck from Michel, something we assumed Henri would have wanted to do. So why did the writers make him go into the lion's den willingly after he acknowledged to Michel that he knew he was the killer the police were looking for. This premise is just irrational and provided me with no incentive to continue watching the film.

Other than generating a discussion on the plausibility of this film and why it did not work, this film was a complete waste of time and I would caution others who may have chosen this film due to the positive reviews posted on IMDb(the reason why I decided to watch this film). The positive reviews on this film are about as disingenuous as this movie turned out to be.

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Starcrossed (2005)

9/10

Controversial, provocative and Daring. A must see short film

24 March 2014

Starcrossed stretches the outer limits between social acceptability and love in its purest form. Writer/Director James Burkhammer tells a moving story of two brothers and the close sexual relationship that develops between them. Burkammer's film follows the boys growing up from their early prepubescent years to their teens, and is able to effectively capture, in a non judgmental manner, the intense emotional connection the two brothers have for each other. At times you forget that the two boys are brothers, and instead enjoy the true beauty of their love for each other.

J.B. Ghuman, who plays the protective older brother Darren, performed his part flawlessly and convincingly, with passion that resonated on the screen. Equally, Marshall Allman put in a solid performance as the younger brother Connor. Together both actors brought the perfect chemistry to their roles that made their relationship convincing and realistic. The turmoil and tragedy that ensues when their parents become aware of the relationship is captivating and unforgiving.

The cinematography was average and probably could have been done better, although this did not take away from the effectiveness of this film.

Regardless of where you stand morally on the subject of this film (incest), Starcrossed captures well the true beauty of unconditional love between two people. Not to be missed.

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I Don't Want to Go Back Alone (2010)

9/10

affectionately brilliant

23 March 2014

This short film exudes of young innocence that is not just adorable to watch but is also brilliantly filmed and provides a fresh perspective of blind love.

The three young actors, Ghilherme Lobo (Leo), Fabio Audi (Gabriel) and Tess Amorim (Giovana), where convincingly charming, passionate and well suited for their roles.

This is a story of a blind high school student Leo, who has developed an attraction for a new classmate Gabriel and the jealousy that ensues when he reveals this attraction to his platonic girlfriend Giovana. The script, written by Daniel Ribeiro is brilliantly unique, well written, simple and effective, and allows the audience to connect with Leo and his affection for Gabriel.

The only downside to this short film is that it could have been longer and shown how the relationship between Leo and Gabriel progressed and the effect it would have on Leo's "girl" friend, Giovana.

A true gem of a short film and a must see.

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In Between Men (2010– )

2/10

Unreal, sterile and boring

23 March 2014

If you like cute boys, beautiful bodies, a bad script, and bad acting then this is a web series for you.

It was a real challenge to make it through a few episodes of In Between Men to see if this web series could draw me in, such as the very successful Queer as Folk. This web series is just plain Queer and Mindless. The characters are all stereotypes, cut-outs from a fashion magazine, with not one blemish between them; definitely not a true representation of the general population.

The acting is horrendous and this may be in part due to the poor lines that the actors were given to work with. I assume it is probably both: bad acting and bad writing. The Italian actor, Max, is far from Italian. His accent is contrived and forced, and does not sound anything remotely close to an Italian where English is his second language. I feel like slapping his face each time he opens his mouth, just as Cher did to Nicholas Cage in Moonstruck: "snap out of it!...your accent sucks!".

The production quality and cinematography is surprisingly very good and of professional quality, but it's unfortunate that this alone cannot carry the show.

If you like fluff, a contrived scrip, and you have a mind that is deteriorated by drugs, then this is a web series made specifically for you. If you don't want to expose yourself to a mindless abyss, then for your sanity's sake, I urge you to stay away!

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Midnights with Adam (2013)

3/10

A lemon...not lemonade

17 March 2014

The script, although having potential, fails in its execution when it isn't forthcoming or clear regarding the nature of the conflict that exists between the two main characters Danny (Ben Whalen) and Harper (Paul Yen); which is the critical part of this film. The film instead only makes vague references about a conflict that occurred between Danny and Harper through a third party conversation, but it does not provide the viewing audience with the critical information needed to understand the nature of this conflict thereby leaving the audience in the dark and confused.

This short film lacks the ability or creativeness of bringing a dull and uninteresting script to life. The script isn't very original or unique and has been done before with much better results. It is about a self loathing, miserable character Harper who has an attraction for his best friend Danny who happens to be straight. Sound familiar? For some reason Harper's character believes that he is owed Danny's affection if he tries hard enough. It is this premise of the film that fails miserably as it goes against all logic: that you cannot change the sexual orientation of any person, no matter how hard you try. It would be more plausible and believable if Danny himself was in denial of any feelings he has for Harper, but in this film, this is not the case as Harper himself has admitted that Danny's straight.

The cinematography's framing was awkward, with out of focus actors blocking half the screen in many of the shots which I found were distracting and having a negative impact on the scenes using this form of imagery.

The film wasn't a complete failure as Paul Yen did the best he could to develop his character and the rest of the cast including Ben whalen and Amanda Ward, also delivered convincingly good performances. When you have a lemon for a script to work with, sometimes it is impossible to turn it into lemonade.

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Denied (2004)

5/10

Poor production, slow pacing but it has a redeeming script

14 March 2014

Writer/director David Scott's script has all the elements that are needed to make this a great film, but it is unfortunate that he fell short of his mark by making this film a less than adequate production. Although the script was very good and entertaining, the film's flow was awkwardly choppy which incorporated extended black screen transitions with audio, and although effective at first, becomes overwhelmingly tiresome by the end of the movie. The slow pacing took away any momentum that this film may have had, which contributed to this films awkwardness. The cinematography, although raw and a bit amateurish does have some very good scenes which enhances the realism of this film.

The two main characters Troy (Lee Rumohr) and Merrik (Austin) were well cast to play two high school friends who developed a tumultuous sexual relationship filled with grief, deception and despair. Rumohr and Austin had great chemistry together on film which made their characters believable and real. The film itself was well cast and the rest of the actors provided depth and character development which was the film's saving grace.

This film is worth watching due to the redeeming quality of the story line and acting, all which were very good. However, don't be surprised if you get irritated by the poor pacing of this film.

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Cowboy Forever (2006)

8/10

A beautifully written film

10 March 2014

This movie depicts the very essence of a man's first exposure to gay culture in the heart of rural Brazil, where cowboys are as tough as they get. The main character Govinda (Govinda Machado de-Figuerirod) is a young, handsomely strapping cowboy who finds that there are many meanings to the word love and discovers sexual confusion after his first gay sexual experience while visiting the city with his best friend.

The cinematography is outstanding using beautiful locations to enhances this cleverly made film by giving the audience a graphical look at cowboy culture, how they live and how they interact with each other in Brazil. It is a narrative film, with intermingled dialogue throughout that feels unscripted; a documentary style production.

The narration (told in the voice of the main character) although good, is not convincingly of Brazilian origin, but sounds more of a European accent which can be distracting. The dialogue in the film is true and not contrived, and the relationship between Govinda and Jones seems very real and plausible. There are no gratuitous graphic sexual scenes in this film that depict Govinda's feelings for his friend Jones, but instead, these feeling of affection for Jones are subtle and sensitive in expression which is effective enough throughout the film to give the audience a sense of identity and connection with the character.

The movie is pure, with a message that is very common in all societies of life: that coming to terms with a person's sexuality is filled with confusion, fear and acceptance. A must see short film.

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The Burning Boy (2001)

7/10

An unpredictable and stunning film.

9 March 2014

Warning: Spoilers

This short film opens, like many gay themed films, with two young boys, Ben (Cameron Ford) and Chill (Josh Roberts), horsing around in a swimming pool where it is revealed that Ben has a secrete attraction for Chill. Conversation ensues between the two boys and it is it is clearly defined that Chill is straight as he is always talking about girls to the annoyance of Ben. When Ben's secrete is exposed while the two boys are alone in a shed, the unpredictable and unthinkable happens.

This film is clearly a tragedy and although the film is very well written and produced, it clearly leaves the audience with unresolved issues and longing for answers which aren't clearly identifiable. Kieran Galvin clearly knows where he wants to take this film and he does this very effectively by casting two talented young actors who are able to take their characters into great depths. The compassion Chill shows towards Ben is moving and surprisingly empathetic. However Ben's reaction to Chill's compassion has a very different effect and results in a tragic ending for both boys.

This film is very well done, and although the ending isn't clearly defined, which is why I gave it a 7/10, the plot is compelling and very unpredictable. A must see short film

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Bramadero (2007)

6/10

Sexually graphic but appropriate. film maker Hernandez is true to his art.

7 March 2014

Julian Hernandez, a Mexican film maker, allows us to peek inside an intimate moment between two strangers at a construction high-rise somewhere in Mexico. The interaction between two exotically handsome men in their twenties is filmed to capture the essence of sexuality as they apprehensively explore their sexual prowess for one another. Unlike mainstream films where sexual displays of intimacy are often sanitized, censored or left to the imagination, Hernandez is bold and allows the audience to visually experience the two men's guarded lust for each other without being apologetic. Hernandez maintains the sensual and erotic exchange between the two actors by arcing around his subjects and capturing sensitively the intense moments of their sexual exploration.

Aside from the attempt at including violence in this film which fell short of realism, the film's message of sexual intrigue, remorse and self hatred was captured effectively. This type of film is difficult to make without making it look like bad pornography, but Hernandez achieved this by keeping it simple, real and believable. A film that is graphically honest and shouldn't be missed.

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Cowboy (I) (2008)

8/10

Convincingly good and shocking. Entertaining to watch.

3 March 2014

There has always been a type of enigma associated with deserted or abandoned places that inexplicably draws and attracts the curious. This short film explores this situation quite effectively through a well written script and great cinematography. How many of us have fantasized about driving along the country side in hopes of catching a glimpse or even meeting a fit young farmhand working on the farm or in the field.

A real estate developer Christian(Oliver Sherz) finds a deserted farm and meets an elusively handsome cowboy (Pik Bukowski) when the unexpected happens. This short film has all the elements for the making of a good story: curiosity, lust, sex, horror and compassion that is effectively incorporated into the film's plot. This short film draws you into one man's journey through the country that is captivating and very entertaining.

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Le weekend (2007)

8/10

Brilliant. Reminiscent of how home movies were filmed in the 70's

1 March 2014

This film has a unique way of following a French student as he documents his weekend in London for a school project. He uses a Super 8 camera to record his every move, which is reminiscent of the home movies that were filmed in the 1960's and 70's. Although the images are raw and primitive and with no audio except for the narration, it does not however affect the quality of the film. Instead, the unrefined footage with the "burned" film breaks and the narrative works well and adds a dimension in capturing the essence of the student's experience in London.

The story is fresh, unpredictable and well written giving the viewers a window inside this student views of London, the intimate friendship he forms with a stranger and the consequence of not being honest with his feelings. This is a very entertaining film and enjoyable to watch. It is a real treat.

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The Seminarian (2010)

2/10

Very dull and unexciting

1 March 2014

This film lacks the luster to captivate it's audience right from the start. The story line of a gay closeted seminarian student Ryan (Mark Cirillo), working on a master's thesis based on love, relationships and hypocrisy, in order to get into a post graduate Ivy League school makes very little sense in the evolution of this film. The story makes an attempt at character development, but falls short in its execution. Ryan's character is bland and unexciting with extended close up scenes that's are without dialogue or expression which makes you want to press the "fast forward" button. The cinematography and editing was sloppy and unimaginative, and does nothing to enhance the film's objective which is to allow the audience to identify with Ryan's struggle on theologies and personal experiences.

The gratuitously long nude scene with Mark Cirillo and Matthew Hannond seemed awkwardly out of place at the end of the movie and had no purpose other than to sensationalize Cirillo's well endowed member and to provide a hook for potential future audiences. There is nothing in this film with substance or character identification; making this film very difficult to watch in its entirety. This is perhaps due to the shortcomings and lack of vision that Joshua Lim has for movie making.

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