This short film is beautiful, full of little details that the viewer will appreciate as the story comes together. I don't want to say more to give anything away, but just watch it for yourself on Vimeo.
Reviews
3 Reviews
Colombiana
(2011)
Fun movie - will see again on the big screen
27 August 2011
Warning: Spoilers
I saw this movie last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. The action was superb, including the final fight scene which felt fresh and raw, just two people kicking the s**t out of each other, and the inventive use of the items at hand (oh, the toothbrushes!). And, while someone before says that that scene looks like it was edited by high-school kids, I actually thought the editing of it was quite great, focused, not relying on silly-chopped cuts or CGI.
Ms. Saldana is luminous – graceful, an athletic, lethal cat without an ounce of fat in her trim, sleek body; plus her eyes convey the sadness and loneliness that runs deep in the character. She did an amazing job with the half-cooked material given to her.
And therein lays my problem with the movie. There is not enough character development, at all. It would have been engaging for the viewer to witness the young Cataleya being put through the training ringer by her uncle and his people (it is clear later that she has deep affection for at least one other of them); also to see her meeting and sizing up Danny's character, as it is obvious that she just wouldn't jump into a relationship with just anyone in her very guarded state. Those moments needed not take a lot of time; perhaps a short montage, minimal dialogue, would have taken care of it and given the movie a little more heart. That said, the visual impact of the bright colors contrasting with Cataleya's choice of very neutral colors (all her personal wardrobe seems to consist of black, gray, olive, flax and other similar shades) do communicate a bit of her single-mindedness to the viewer, and it feels just right.
I have to laugh at the comments and reviewers who have not seen the movie, yet choose to disparage it for the choice of a Dominican to play a Colombian – seems that this tired protest is misplaced: I'm still to read such complaint over Scarface why is it OK for Al Pacino to represent a Cuban in Scarface, but not for Ms. Saldana to represent a Colombian? Is it the color of her skin? Frankly, I cannot think of any Colombian actress that would have done a better job in this case. And directly from the mouth of the director, Mr. Oliver Megaton, "Zoe was the one person both Luc Besson and I wanted for this role – that never happens, we usually see a few actors for a role and then decide " I'm paraphrasing, but look it up, he said it on the red carpet interview during the Miami premiere.
Ms. Saldana is luminous – graceful, an athletic, lethal cat without an ounce of fat in her trim, sleek body; plus her eyes convey the sadness and loneliness that runs deep in the character. She did an amazing job with the half-cooked material given to her.
And therein lays my problem with the movie. There is not enough character development, at all. It would have been engaging for the viewer to witness the young Cataleya being put through the training ringer by her uncle and his people (it is clear later that she has deep affection for at least one other of them); also to see her meeting and sizing up Danny's character, as it is obvious that she just wouldn't jump into a relationship with just anyone in her very guarded state. Those moments needed not take a lot of time; perhaps a short montage, minimal dialogue, would have taken care of it and given the movie a little more heart. That said, the visual impact of the bright colors contrasting with Cataleya's choice of very neutral colors (all her personal wardrobe seems to consist of black, gray, olive, flax and other similar shades) do communicate a bit of her single-mindedness to the viewer, and it feels just right.
I have to laugh at the comments and reviewers who have not seen the movie, yet choose to disparage it for the choice of a Dominican to play a Colombian – seems that this tired protest is misplaced: I'm still to read such complaint over Scarface why is it OK for Al Pacino to represent a Cuban in Scarface, but not for Ms. Saldana to represent a Colombian? Is it the color of her skin? Frankly, I cannot think of any Colombian actress that would have done a better job in this case. And directly from the mouth of the director, Mr. Oliver Megaton, "Zoe was the one person both Luc Besson and I wanted for this role – that never happens, we usually see a few actors for a role and then decide " I'm paraphrasing, but look it up, he said it on the red carpet interview during the Miami premiere.
The Skeptic
(2009)
quietly creepy
21 February 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Just saw this last night and really liked it for the following reason(s):
A good, smart thriller that does not feel it needs to hit you over the head to make its points. The creaking noises, the visions that you don't know if are real or a product of this guy's imagination (hey, he had a history of psychiatric treatment). I loved the characters, especially Tim Daily's Brian and Zoe Saldana's Cassie. They are not perfect or good, or even necessarily provoke much sympathy in the viewer, until the movie develops and you peel many layers.
Part of my favorite dialog, which again, I think illustrates a wealth of hidden information (paraphrasing):
(her father has died in the somewhat recent past) -...so you weren't close with your dad? -Not in a good way.
Nothing more is said about this, but you can see the quiet shock in Brian's face when he understand the meaning.
I also enjoyed that this is a movie I could watch again and again because it doesn't rely on shock value to scare the viewer, its creepiness has a good effect on me every time. Oh, and the scene with the doll, hahahaha!
A good, smart thriller that does not feel it needs to hit you over the head to make its points. The creaking noises, the visions that you don't know if are real or a product of this guy's imagination (hey, he had a history of psychiatric treatment). I loved the characters, especially Tim Daily's Brian and Zoe Saldana's Cassie. They are not perfect or good, or even necessarily provoke much sympathy in the viewer, until the movie develops and you peel many layers.
Part of my favorite dialog, which again, I think illustrates a wealth of hidden information (paraphrasing):
(her father has died in the somewhat recent past) -...so you weren't close with your dad? -Not in a good way.
Nothing more is said about this, but you can see the quiet shock in Brian's face when he understand the meaning.
I also enjoyed that this is a movie I could watch again and again because it doesn't rely on shock value to scare the viewer, its creepiness has a good effect on me every time. Oh, and the scene with the doll, hahahaha!
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