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Magic Magic (2013)
Multilayered and Interesting
I saw Magic Magic on a Youtube ad one day and it really caught my attention. What a weird concept they presented. Juno Temple's character Alicia seems to be trapped in Chile with these hedonistic sociopaths. Is she in some sort of hell? Is it all imagined in her head? Are they simply sociopaths she has to escape? I had to watch the movie to see more of what was going on.
Early on after their arrival at their destination I started to make these observations that didn't fit any of my theories. I still let it take its course waiting for things to escalate in the manner I had initially predicted. They didn't. Instead the movie marched on in a totally different direction.
What I appreciate about this film is that upon watching it a second time you can see two totally different things. It is a lot like the spinning dancer (silhouette illusion.) The image doesn't actually change but you can see it spinning clockwise or counterclockwise. It's just your perception that changes. I think it's pretty masterful to create a movie which operates just as that illusion does.
If you're looking for an intense, pulse-pounding, psychological thriller than you should move past this. However, if you are the type that finds the writings of a madman interesting to read, you may like this one.
Bindlestiffs (2012)
About as Funny and Annoying as Being Around Teenage Boys
A cousin recommended that I watch this and so I gave it a chance. I found it difficult to get through the first twenty or so minutes. The characters just truly come off like a bunch of teenage boys. At times funny, sometimes painfully awkward but more often than not they're just annoying. By the time they had started their adventure I realized that I literally disliked every character and they got on my nerves. I stuck it out and kept watching and I'm glad I did.
I had some pretty good laughs throughout. While some of the banter really rubbed me the wrong way some of it was hilarious. Andrew's obsession with becoming Holden Claufield is just so ridiculous and intensity so over the top that it made me laugh every time.
All in all the film feels very unconventional and I can see a lot of people disliking it because of it. The feel is very light-hearted with some of the aspects (especially involving John) being so weird that it gives a who-cares-whatever vibe to the whole thing. It was as-if they just threw some of it in because they could.
Kaboom (2010)
Bizarre but Ultimately Boring
I found this film through Juno Temple who has almost always picked good roles in my opinion. Upon seeing that this shared a director with Mysterious Skin (2004) I was even more excited to watch this. In the end I was pretty disappointed in the film though it had its moments.
From the outset the film has somewhat of a dreamlike feel to it with all of the colors saturated to a point fitting of a fantasy sequence. The story is equally strange and seems to exist slightly outside of what is real. I felt that the film jumping around seemed to add to this (as well as descriptive names such as London speaking with a British accent and the few instances of supernatural abilities.) While it certainly wasn't totally incoherent it would jump from drama and the main character trying to find answers to a totally random sex scene that seems to come from nowhere and does nothing to advance the story.
By far the most disappointing and bizarre piece of the film is the ending. It makes an attempt at tying all of the different stories together but in doing so directly contradicts at least one character's story. It comes off so intensely far-fetched that I wondered if maybe the movie all along is about a schizophrenic individual just imagining his reality.
All in all it was pretty boring to watch with only a few dramatic, funny or visually interesting moments. I thought the sex scenes were okay and the mysterious parts were pretty good. It was just the erratic storyline and wacky ending that really ruined it for me.