armanddiab Reviews

Canopy (2013)

A hack job masquerading as art

[1/10 · 24 December 2014]

This movie is proof that an 80 minute film can be just as long, boring and pretentious as any 3 hour plus epic costume Hollywood picture. The movie's budget is so low that it can not afford to show us any real battle, and for a war film, that is a big minus. To compensate what it can not show us, the filmmakers over-fill the soundtrack with constant gunfire, explosions, bombings, airplanes flying over heard, etc. It was exhausting after a while.

Of course, none of those aforementioned things would matter in the least if the movie had characters we cared about at all, or a story worth giving a damn about. Every single Close Up shot in the movie feels fake, and the director holds them for way too long before cutting away, making them feel even more disingenuous. The characters have no personality, no soul to them, so we are forced to watch two wooden people for what felt like an eternity, both of do as much overacting as possible for roles that require very minimal dialogue. The movie is simply over directed; everything in it feels fake, especially the actors' expressions. There really is nothing to find here: no drama, no suspense, no tension, only your life wasting away one second at a time.

Shadows in Paradise (1986)

Boring, lifeless, pointless...

[1/10 · 11 September 2012]

This movie was simply awful. The fact that it's a low budget film, and that it apparently uses non professional actors is no excuse. The lead man, who is a garbage man, is all over the place, and can never make up his mind about anything. His expression also never changes. The woman is pretty much the same: dull as all hell.

These people not only have nothing in common with one another, but probably don't have anything in common with any other human being on the planet. To be honest, I don't think this movie deserves any stars at all (I wanted to leave it a 0 out of 10 rating, but the least I can give is 1, so there you have it).

No movie that was less than 75 minutes has ever felt so long to me. I'd rather watch any four-hour long epic than this piece of crap again. This is simply unwatchable.

Hold the Mayo (2011 Video)

a tale of two halves

[6/10 · 28 February 2012]

I like the first half of this film very much. The acting was realistic and convincing, and some of the mannerisms of the characters felt accurate. But (SPOILER ALERT), after the 'climax' scene, the film still keeps going and going and going... with a repeating gag that just wasn't funny. I felt that a better twist would've done this idea more justice, as it really is a pretty good idea for a film. It's just that it's half realized; the writer seems to have run out of inspiration, and left of watching a series of scenes after the climax that really went nowhere. Overall, a good effort, but somewhat of a missed opportunity for greatness.

Beautiful Hills of Brooklyn (2008)

a nice looking film, in need of much editing

[5/10 · 24 March 2009]

I recently saw this film at the Washington, D.C. independent film festival in early March of 2008. It was featured in the Senior Moments session. It was by far the longest of the short films screened that day, by at least a third; it is around 37 minutes long, and if it lost about 12 or 13 minutes, it would be just as effective, if not more.

There's no question that "Beautiful Hills of Brooklyn" is a well made film - gorgeously shot, and exceptionally acted by its lead (and only cast member) actress. However, the film has major pacing problems, as it turns into a series of long shots and scenes, where one woman frequently faces the camera and tells the audience how she feels. A little too much direct information, I thought; "show more, and tell less" would've perhaps been more effective.

It's very difficult for a "short" film that is longer than 30 minutes to sustain good pacing and to keep the audience interested; with some serious editing, a shorter version of this film would've been much more compact and interesting. As it is, it's longer than it needs to be, and at times very boring.

Old Days (2008)

an entertaining film with charm

[8/10 · 23 March 2009]

I saw this film recently at the Washington, D.C. Independent Film Festival in early March of 2009. It was featured in the Senior Moments session. Of all the films screened in that particular session, this one was my favorite.

In "Old Days", director Matthew Shapiro balances the lives of elderly in a retirement community by applying just enough cleverness, wit, satire and charm. All the actors are terrific, and some I've even seen in different films. I was surprised at how effective the writing was, because when the film first started, I had no idea it was gonna be a comedy (for the most part).

The way the script spoofs and compares the retirement home to a typical high school, where everyone eats together and hangs out in specific groups of archetypes and characters is well handled; I look forward to the next film from Shapiro.

Cam2Cam (2008)

a terrific thriller, with an unnecessary third act

[8/10 · 9 March 2009]

I just saw CAM2CAM a few days ago, at the Washington DC Independent Film Festival. It was featured in the horror session that night. I was surprised at just how effective the tone and atmosphere of the film were. It always felt there was something frightening waiting to happen at any given moment.

The actress in the film was surprisingly good, and very attractive. Aside from having my eyes glued to her the entire time, I was also completely involved in the story and the way the director had me played. However, I feel that the film should have ended after the main character was zapped the first time; the unnecessary third act that followed only showed what we more or less have imagined earlier - too much exposition, I guess. By the time we finally arrive at the last horrifying image, I felt it would've been better left off screen, since our imaginations can form images that are just as horrible, if not more. A terrific two thirds, with an 'okay' last act.

Excision (2008)

a great film, with a terrific performance

[9/10 · 9 March 2009]

I just saw EXCISION a few days ago, at the Washington DC Independent Film Festival. It was featured in the evening horror session. More so than any other film that day, EXCISION had the biggest effect on me.

The performances are great, especially by the lead actress, whom I've never seen in anything else before. She's simply terrific, conveying the angst, the frustration of being neglected by her parents, and about how she simply doesn't fit in. Her fantasies, where she's dreaming about taking a bath in blood, are perfectly realized and captured.

By the time EXCISION reaches its awesome third act, we can understand why the heroine is doing what she's doing, although we're still abhorred at her actions. The film has a great final scene too, where the mother finally accepts her daughter for who she is. Too bad it took such a horrible act to win her affection, but it's well handled by the director in a film that is original and uncompromising.

Calendar Girl (2008)

a disappointing climax for a nice looking film

[3/10 · 9 March 2009]

I just saw CALENDAR GIRL at the Washington DC Independent Film Festival a few days ago. Of all the films featured in the Horror session, I have to say this was the most disappointing, at least for me, in terms of suspense and thrills.

The film starts off well, and takes us slowly into the characters' lives and a possible great third act, for which I was waiting. The actors are few, but effective. The cinematography is terrific, and creates an ominous mood. Early in the film, we're told of the "Calendar Girl" murderer, and as far as suspense goes, that would be it for the rest of the story, really. I'm still not even sure why this film is categorized as "horror", or "thriller", even, as it contains not much of either.

The last act for me was most disappointing, because nothing interesting or fascinating ended up happening; and what did end up happening was weak, to say the least. Maybe it's because this was the last in a series of great horror films that evening that I had such a poor reaction to it; or maybe it's just an ineffective thriller. A decent film for a drama genre, maybe, but definitely not a horror or a thriller at all.

Collector (2008)

a great looking film sings the same old tune

[5/10 · 9 March 2009]

I just saw COLLECTOR a few days ago, at the Washington DC Independent Film Festival. It was featured in the evening horror session, which, if you ask me, has some of the best short films of the entire festival.

The late Brad Renfro is terrific in this film, conveying paranoia and a level of nervousness I have not seen lately. His performance is truly great. The other actor was okay, but maybe that's because I've seen other actors play the devil before, and more effectively.

The film itself is great looking, with some of the best cinematography of any short film. However, the twist at the end is very old and unoriginal, and left me wondering why anyone would even bother trying to pull it off in the year 2008. I mean, after the SIXTH SENSE and THE OTHERS, is there really much of a thrill to be had in a story where the main character discovers that he's dead? An okay film with great cinematography and terrific performance.

Caution Sign (2009)

a well directed short, full of suspense

[8/10 · 9 March 2009]

I just saw CAUTION SIGN at the Washington DC Independent Film Festival a few days ago. It was featured in the evening Horror session. The two actors in the film are very good, and create an effective chemistry for a husband/wife or boyfriend/girlfriend pair. The film does a good job at building suspense, and utilizing the horror of that which we don't see - which is the most effective horror anyway.

The last act is particularly scary, and in a good way. The mood and atmosphere in the last few minutes go a long way to convey how we would feel in the same setting and situation as the main characters. After fate has their way with them, we're surprised at how well we've been played.

Buster (2008)

good acting, decent sound in a gritty indie

[7/10 · 13 January 2009]

"Buster" is a good low budget film, possessing some fine acting by its lead and supporting cast. It's totally unpredictable, which makes it that much more entertaining as a result. The main character is not very likable, and is unique in his appearance and behavior in general.

The film doesn't have a traditional narrative structure of three standard acts; the characters lack a driving element, but I guess a story like this isn't meant to have such a thing. It all depends on audience's open-mindedness and patience as to how much they'll want to sit through. Me, I wasn't bothered all that much.

The photography reminded me of Darren Aronofsky's "Pi" from ten years ago, and I have to say that sound design was very impressive (something not very common in low budget features). Also, for a feature at 65 minutes in length, "Buster" is surprisingly short, and I liked the ending much better than I thought I would.

Stratagem (2008)

a so-so low budget sci-fi film

[5/10 · 9 January 2009]

"Stratagem" has some decent acting, some inconsistent cinematography and some pretty bad framing/compositions. I noticed early on that the sound needed a lot of design work/fixing, and was wondering why in the world anyone would go through such lengths to make a film like this and leave the sound design untouched.

The actors are not awful, as the case is in most of low-budget sci-fi films. The story is a bit confusing, and after a while I didn't really care much. I did, however, like the female lead, who is sexy in each different outfit she wore in the film. The writing is okay, and just like the story, somewhat confusing.

The editing and cinematography left a lot to be desired; the special/visual effects were not bad (again, for such a low budget film). Overall, I say I've seen worse films; I just wish that all low budget sci-fi/action movies didn't feel the need to rely on guns so much. It's not that I'm anti gun; it's just becoming a major cliché in low budget film-making, that's all.

WarZone (2009)

a mini version of "The Thin Red Line"

[8/10 · 6 January 2009]

"WarZone" is similar to Terrence Malick's "The Thin Red Line", in that both films are about soldiers in war, and both use narration to convey how the war has changed them as human beings and as husbands/boyfriends.

The opening shot of a soldier in the midst of war, with the fire from explosions around him reflected in his eyes, is haunting (and impressive for a low budget film), requiring plenty of post-effects/visual work.

The cinematography in "WarZone" is very good, as is the sound design. What the film lacks in standard narrative structure, it more than makes up in visuals and its poetic feel. At 5 minutes, the film feels short (to me), but it'll probably be more effective and more widely seen as a result.

Homeland (I) (2009)

a terrific "zero" budget film

[8/10 · 1 January 2009]

I saw "Homeland" at the Zero Film Festival in early December of 2008 in downtown Los Angeles. I was truly surprised to see it there, because the production value of the film and the quality of the film-making is top notch - no way was this movie made for super cheap.

Easily the best feature film I saw at that festival. The actors are all terrific, and the writing and direction is better than some stuff that I see on TV. And although we've had plenty of films recently about American soldiers returning home from Iraq, this film is one of the better ones - right up there with "In the Valley of Elah".

Based on this film, I look forward to seeing the next project from this director. And does anyone know if this film has been released, and if so, how can I get a copy of it?

Take (I) (2008)

a three-take "take"

[5/10 · 1 January 2009]

I liked the original idea of "Take". I expected, early on, that the entire film would truly be shot in one continuous take, and as it turns out, there were a few cuts in it (three, I think). My thought was, if you're gonna cut at all, just make it into a standard film, with multiple shots, and edits, since you're not doing it in one take anyway. The story was interesting, but certain scenes were way too long (the cab ride, and the early section where main character and the girl he runs into at the train station walk), but that's the drawback of limiting yourself to no editing/cuts.

I was also confused by the characters' motivation/intent on trying to get their car back, only to end up stealing another car as a result. To me, this puts the characters in the category of caricatures; if you're stealing, you don't deserve to get your car back - that sorta thing. I lost respect for them completely there at the end, when I don't think that's what the filmmaker(s)' wanted me to feel.

Not bad for a first feature - I suspect (and expect) that the second effort will be better.

Silver Tongues (2007)

an original and unique piece of work

[8/10 · 30 September 2008]

I liked many things about "Silver Tongues". It was an usual film, especially for a short, and it had none of clichés that one normally sees in that genre. The performances were all very good, and the look of the film was excellent. It took me a while to figure out what the motivations of the characters are, but once I did, it all tied up nicely. I also wasn't sure if it was a US production that's set in Scotland/England or what; I guess I'm not used to seeing short films from that part of the world, aside from "Trainspotting". I thought, "Great Scottish accents." This was the best short film that I saw at the Naperville Independent Film Festival. Look forward to seeing more from this filmmaker.

Tree (I) (2007)

impressive music and performances

[6/10 · 19 February 2008]

The acting was good - pretty much by everyone. The writing was okay, but the focus (and lack of focus on background) on the camera was impressive. Scene by the lake, when the girl was drowning, was a bit overexposed (and a bit over dramatic), especially on the extras' faces - little overblown.

Music was very effective - creepy. The ending was "interesting" - I suspected what was gonna happen, I guess, but not in the way it did. Maybe a bit much with the irony...? The 46 minute running time is neither here nor there - perhaps a 30 minute length would've been more effective. Either that, or add another 25 minutes and turn it into a feature.

Overall, well made.