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Rome723
Reviews
Hannibal: Antipasto (2015)
A tasty Antipasto
After the stunning finale of Season 2 I was very curious to see, if they managed to sustain the intense psychological drama and aesthetic imagery as well as finally getting to know what fate some of the characters have met after the events of the last episode.
Compared to Season 2 the focus has, at least for this episode, shifted towards a slower pace, more close-up and slow-motion shots, which are outstandingly appealing to the eye. Even though a little slower, they managed to maintain a suspenseful and dark atmosphere. – Besides grotesque yet brilliant imagery, it offers new insights into characters and concocts a toxic mix of abuse, power, and morbid fascination, ready to reach boiling point.
While it lays bare pieces of the past many cliff-hangers remain unresolved, which are, however, prone to be answered very soon as the storyline converges in Italy. After this I am certainly looking forward to seeing how this new plot line unravels and how the old questions are answered. All in all it was a very good start into this season and it certainly laid the foundation for the episodes to come – it was a tasty Antipasto, there to leave you hungry for the rest of this Italian meal.
Orphan (2009)
A solid, visually appealing mystery film
Following the events after a couple with two children adopts an orphan this film tells how their lives spiral out of control. Remarkable is especially the imagery; each set seems to be carefully crafted, especially concerning the (exceptionally well-acted and fascinating) character of Esther; the colours and costumes subliminally underline her staggeringly dark and cold personality succeeding at conveying her emotions or rather the lack of them. Set in a cold wintery environment her classy, dark coloured garments contrasting with her fair skin framed with her black hair create an eerie feeling whenever she appears resulting in conflicting emotions due to her apparently impeccable behaviour. Besides succeeding at scaring the viewer occasionally its jumps scenes are fairly predictable, which in my opinion is positive for I generally am not a fan of the horror/mystery genre. What I also deem positive it refraining from the supernatural and unnecessarily gory and disturbing images, which makes it suitable for a larger audience (not for kids though).
Despite being of this genre which is notorious for weak plots, it maintains suspense and mystery for a long time and the outcome is hardly predictable. Moreover it is not superficial, on the contrary, it discusses the sensitive issue of growing up causing contradicting longings for childish naïveté in a romanticised world of childhood disrupted by the advent new responsibilities and expectations. My interpretation is that Esther desperately seeks to maintain her childish world, reinforced by her appearance and on the other hand craves validation, perverse power over other beings expressed through her tendency towards manipulative behaviour, lack of empathy and sobering violence and the sexuality which she is denied due to her appearance. This situation rips her mentally apart, beautifully represented by her paintings; quaint at first sight, once the UV-light is on revealing hideous acts of violence and a cry for sexuality. Tormented, failing to seduce her new father and alienate him from his wife, she wreaks havoc among the family while maintaining an innocent image to present to the world. A truly gripping and dark film.
Disconnect (2012)
An important film in our modern world
Disconnect centres around three story lines, each representing different hazards of the internet. It discusses sensitive issues of our modern world in a rather unsettling and dark way, it tells the story of a couple which had their identities stolen, which led to serious financial troubles pushing them to the verge of breaking up; of a teenager who was tricked into sending illicit pornographic material of himself initiating both cyberbullying and real-world bullying culminating in a desperate attempt to commit suicide; of a group of neglected runaways, quasi-forced into child pornography by means of squalid manipulation and appealing rewards. All of these scenarios seem quite realistic and probably occur on a daily basis.
The film draws a grim picture of how our lives might be affected due to the rapidly increasing dominance of digital media over real-world interactions. It suggests that many people are dangerously naïve regarding how they act online, especially concerning how easily they disclose secrets and sensitive information. Interestingly it also demonstrates how (often young people) underestimate the effect their actions online cause in the real world, how degrading their actions are and how guilt plagues them, making them victims of their own actions for they have access to social-networking sites, equipping them with the weapons to commit offences they might not be able to fully comprehend. Eventually it soberingly portraits how powerless victims of online crime are, the offenders anonymous, protected by cryptography and distance making law enforcement virtually impossible. It urges caution and change in such matters, a very important movie in our modern world that will make you rethink your opinion on cybersecurity issues.
Skyfall (2012)
Bond is back!
I went to the cinema with big expectations and I have to admit I, it was really great. The opening sequence contained much of the material of the first minutes; much suspense was taken away. After a few minutes there was the usual sequence, where the main actors and responsible persons are showed. This part was very well animated, but unfortunately this part gives you many hints what is going to happen later on, they are not in the right order, but even so I did not really like it. After this scene there is a part where there is neither suspense nor some really good story, this is probably the worst part, but on a very good level of course. About the first half of the film I would say it was good, but if the trailer would not show us some key points to would have been even better. The second part of the movie was even better than the first, much action, suspense, but never overdone as it was in A Quantum Of Solace. At the end there is one totally surprising turnaround, therefore I absolutely do not recommend the read any text/review which tells you the end, especially the very end, it would be such a pity.
Overall I have to say: The old Bond is back with his sarcastic jokes, Daniel Craig did a really good job. Q and another important character have returned to screen. There is a good mixture of shooting locations; the setting is always appropriate and well done. The camera work and the cutting were also very good; it sometimes took you right into the middle of the action. The guys from the VFX division did a good job and luckily did not overdo it. A negative point is the trailer, which took away much suspense in the first half of the film. The story was good and always made you wanting to know what is going to happen next, but the story is not like the old Bond stories by Ian Fleming and this kind of story can only be used once, you will know why when you have seen the end. Last but not least the score was very nice, not only Adele's title song, the whole score was good.