Mark_Rantzen-469-164475 Reviews

Dreamed Vengeance (2021)

A compassionate and engaging fantasy that will leave you with much to consider

[10/10 · 18 February 2021]

Dreamed Vengeance takes the viewer on a powerful and visceral journey through Martin Luther King Jr's process of political and social awakening. It provides a modern and immediate scenario in which the major ideas and issues of his time period are laid bare for the viewer within the context of a film that shows how some things change while others stay the same. Taking a literal but creative interpretation of King's declaration "I have a dream", we see the young minister within a modern and prophetic setting. The issues that he fought to change are seen as the central plot points in the story, particularly the harsh reality of racism and economic disparity. Young Martin (Marlon Daniel) and his buddy Monty (Marcus Spencer) are struggling to attain employment, a circumstance which we see is largely exacerbated by potential employers allowing their personal prejudices to dictate the hiring process. Things becoming increasingly difficult until the two are forced to move into a hotel room with their girlfriends and eccentric buddy Paul (Dann Mead.)

Despite the difficulties, Martin and Monty eventually secure a manual labor position, but this proves to be two steps forward and one step back. There they face the unreasonable demands of a supervisor who doesn't appreciate their efforts or have any empathy for their situation, pushing them to impossible standards. Though the situation is rife with conflict, the film is also a story about survival, perseverance, charity, and love. Martin's relationship with his girlfriend is a central source of strength as he navigates the mounting challenges, and his buddies Monty and Paul provide plenty of comic relief and quite a bit of heart as well. It's a highly unique and engaging film, that besides brining all of the mentioned issues to the forefront for discussion, also makes for an interesting approach to storytelling, and leaves the viewer with a strong sense of optimism about the kinds of changes they can make a on a personal level to benefit humanity as a whole.

I'll Never Forget My High School Friends (2020)

A moving and complicated look at personal growth

[8/10 · 3 February 2021]

I'll Never Forget My High School Friends is a film exploring the way that adolescent bonds dissolve as we enter adulthood. The film does a pitch perfect job of capturing that experience, which feels sad and scary when it's happening, but is ultimately a critical part of growth. The film borrows some techniques from handheld camera/found footage style movies, ones that are typically in the horror genre, but the cinema verite-style approach serves a different purpose here. It allows the complicated mixture of emotions to play out onscreen with minimal filmmaker cues as to how we should feel about it. The cameras capturing the action are diegetic, held by our characters themselves for the purpose of documenting this time in their lives for future posterity. This brings with it some of the clichés we're seen in these types of films, such as arguments about shooting during intimate discussions, and some uncomfortable "hidden camera" exchanges. There are also moments where the teenage drama may feel a bit aimless, particularly for older viewers, but it all works in service of creating a powerful authenticity for the film overall.

I personally walked away with a feeling that this did an excellent job of depicting growing pains on a personal level, reflecting moments that are difficult, but also inevitable, leading the way toward happiness.There are an array of personalities in this group; ones that want to goof off, ones that are more intense, and at least a couple that are an awkward mix. The structure of their friendship has carried them through their high school years, but has served its' purpose, and it's time to move on. It's a highly captivating story that covers a range of emotions, but undercuts your expectations as a viewer. It complicates them, and proves to be a far more mature and insightful document of young adulthood than what you might expect going in. I found myself frequently having to reconsider my attitude towards different characters based on things that they did onscreen. There is a very carefully crafted narrative here that slowly reveals the characters to us, but as it does so, they become less quantifiable.

This in itself makes it compelling, but what makes it a great film is the way that this experience is mirrored by the characters amongst themselves. At the start of the film, the group is entirely carefree, and their discussions and activities are all about having fun. But slowly, as if by one minor obstacle at a time, challenges are thrown into the mix. It's small disagreements or miscommunications at first, but as they begin to accumulate, we see there is a shift happening that is irreversible once begun. They have changed as people, and no amount of hopeful denial can override the inevitable fracturing of relationships. When observed in the straightforward way this film presents it, it's a rather brutal thing to see at times. I was surprised by the emotions that it managed to elicit with its' resolution full of hard, but beautiful truths, and characters full of nuance. It's a highly thoughtful and effective film that looks carefully at a time that is difficult to understand, but vital in shaping who we become. I definitely recommend giving it a watch.

I Want to Live (2018)

A touching drama about having to grow up too fast

[9/10 · 26 February 2019]

I found this this come of age drama online, and was very impressed with it's unique story and gorgeous cinematography. It tells the tale of an otherwise athletic young man who is in the unenviable position of being placed in a Sanitorium for recovery after he becomes ill during a sporting event. In there, he's thrown into the mix of all of the usual difficulties of being a teenager and seeking love and acceptance, but with the added challenges of sadistic teachers, isolation, and the threat of mortality hanging over the whole thing. This is an interesting twist on this type of a genre because death is so central to everything that happens, unlike most teen films, where everyone behaves and thinks as if they are immortal. The beautiful cinematography and spot on musical arrangements give it not only a highly professional sheen, but a freshness to the material as well. Even scenes which have the ring of familiarity in regards to these types of teen dramas are brought into a new light and made engaging by the masterful use of music, which is never overbearing, nor wasted. I would highly recommend I Want to Live to anyone who can appreciate a somewhat familiar story told within a unique framework.

The Path of the Shadows (2018)

The human cost of corruption

[10/10 · 2 January 2019]

The Path of the Shadows is a harrowing account of a professor who was abducted off of the streets of El Salvador and accused of being a guerilla commander, all on account of his association with a childhood crush. It is a true story, and Carlos Mauricio, the man who this actually happened to, recalls the events in interview, as a dramatization makes up most of the film. The film addresses all of the factors at play; including political corruption, human rights, and the dubious information extracted by means of torture. But more than anything else, it's a story of personal horror, a man who finds himself in the midst of a modern day witch hunt, one in which the primary goal of his captors is to obtain a confession by any means to show results, with little or no regard for the truth contained therein. This makes it an especially upsetting, but important piece of work and historical document of the political upheaval in the region during the 1980s. When returning to El Salvador after studying for four years in Mexico, Professor Mauricio is warned by is his friend and colleague to give a wide berth to his childhood friend Maria, who has become involved with rebel guerillas. Unfortunately, the professor does not heed this warning, and upon his first encounter with her, is quick to try and rekindle their budding relationship of years past. There is a close call in which the two are nearly caught by armed forces together, one in which they both just barely escape with their lives. The gravity of this has not yet fully come into focus for the professor, though, and he continues to go about his daily life with his students at the university in spite of the danger, not knowing that he has already been identified by the government forces. It begins with lower level intimidation in his class room and searching his car before it escalates to kidnapping at gun point. This is where the story zeroes in on its' human focus. One can imagine how the film may have proved to be a story of love or friendship, or any number of other things other than the sudden captivity and violence that upsets the narrative. This is a particularly effective dramatic choice, but also underlines the shock, confusion, and despair that this would mean for anyone thrown into this situation. The professor finds himself profoundly alone; removed from friends and loved ones, and voiceless, at the mercy of thugs who only want to prop him up as a win to validate and justify their oppressive tactics. It's sadly not an unusual story, and is certainly being repeated around the globe today under various other violent and corrupt governments. The major thing that sets this narrative apart from the vast majority of the others is that Carlos Mauricio lived through it, but through a mercy that itself was politically motivated. Having played a critical role in bringing his torturers to justice and now living with family in the United States, it's a truly remarkable experience to be able to have this document of what the professor went through. I cannot overstake the incredible contribution which filmmaker Baltazar Lopez has made with this moving and memorable work of art. This film should be required viewing for anyone who hopes to understand the extent to which power can be abused when it operates-as the title suggests, in the shadows.