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2 Hours (2012)
An Incredibly Impressive First Film
The cinematography in 2 Hours was the first thing to stand out to me as remarkable, especially considering the fact that it is director Ballif's first film and was done on a budget of practically nothing. Beginning with the very first shots and throughout the entire film, the cinematography alone makes viewers feel exactly what Survivor is feeling and experiencing. The array of emotions visually portrayed in this way that allows viewers to vicariously experience them varies dramatically and includes everything from the childlike excitement of young lovers to sheer and hopeless terror at the inevitability of mental breakdown that Survivor is all too aware is imminent. It takes viewers from scenes of carnage and horror to blissful moments of serene, overpowering beauty.
The acting and dialogue for 2 Hours, though not as immediately noteworthy as the cinematography and directing, were sufficient. They never felt lacking or distracting, as is often the case in amateur indie films. I do feel that it is one area that I would like to see Ballif put a bit more of a focus on in future productions.
The story was what I was most skeptical of going into 2 Hours, simply because the Zombie theme has been done so much in recent years. However, I was quite pleased with the direction that 2 Hours took the perhaps overused theme. The psychological aspect of Survivors experience with the undead is what made it for me. While watching the film, there were admittedly only a handful of outcomes that seemed very likely, and the actual ending was one of them. I would have liked to be a little bit more surprised, but because of how beautifully the ending was pulled off, I wasn't disappointed.
Overall 2 Hours is a short that I highly recommend, and Michael Ballif is an excellent blooming director and filmmaker that I certainly plan to keep my eye on in the future.