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HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Fisher Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Sep 30, 2021 Directed by: Cassandra Bryson Written by: Cassandra Bryson Starring: Lilly Leann Wright, Nasim, Jessie Bell, Mia Naipaul, Zachary Rodriguez-Gardner, Alexander Chastain Bad things are happening in Eden, Tennessee during Halloween that involve murder, online deception and death threats. Clara (Wright) is a teenager who uses catfishing to her advantage and what she does is pretend to be another person on social networking services and sends intimate pictures of women to various men online in exchange for gift cards. Things go well for her until her activities attract unwanted attention and end up putting her life in danger. As things turn more and more sinister, Clara finds herself being a victim of stalking and receives disturbing life-threatening messages involving dead animals and blood. This psychological mystery horror film contains a variety of characters, including socially awkward Micah (Chastain), who has to deal with his abusive father and Jacob (Gardner), who along with his parents is deeply religious. There is a great deal of online socializing going on and characters are often seen interacting with their laptops. Since the events take place around Halloween, there are scary costumes to be seen. The plot explores the hazards of interacting with others through social media, particularly catfishing. Religion is also a significant part of the story and the unknown stalker appears to be strict when it comes to religion. The story and characters are interesting and there are nail-biting moments. The movie begins rather sinister, with a brutal murder. After that, the atmosphere is more relaxed during the first half of this two-hour-long feature, mainly exploring the lives of the main characters and the pace is a bit slow. Things pick up during the second half, with the intense stalking and the emotional damage it causes to Clara. Generally, the film seems overlong and there are montages that include Micah cleaning and Clara carving pumpkins which come across as awkward and unnecessary. As far as the acting goes, it gives the impression that it could had been better. Bell probably has the most interesting role, that being of a religious woman whose life is turned upside down after a discovery that causes her to develop a desire for revenge. She plays her part well and manages to make her character fragile and fierce. There are numerous great establishing shots and composer Kevin Czaja makes a positive contribution with the dramatic and tense music. Overall Fisher is not a bad film. The plot deals with a dangerous individual looking to harm someone and that is intriguing. It might require patience for a while, but eventually the narrative gets better and better and eventually grabs the viewer's attention. About the Film Critic Jason Knight Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Caverna Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Daniel Baldwin | Posted on: Aug 18, 2023 Directed by: Daniel Contaldo, Hannah Swayze Written by: Hannah Swayze Starring: Elia Nichols, Caterina Fornaciai, Shelton Lindsay Hannah Swayze and Daniel Contaldo’s Caverna is a surrealist work about an experimental theater workshop in Florence, Italy. We follow two particular students, Giorgia (Giorgia Tomasi) and Lorenzo (Lorenzo Passaniti), who are pushed by a daring teacher named Alba to unleash their inner thoughts and fears through acting exercises in front of the group. If that sounds like a movie about a bunch of theater kids wandering about a stage as they talk about their feelings, don’t worry. It’s not that kind of movie. Instead, Caverna hovers between reality and fantasy as dreams, desires, and nightmares are portrayed in a rather trippy fashion as the film flips back and forth between the actors and their “scenes”. What is real and what is acting blurs as both feed into one another. Is there really a rad-looking cyclops stomping about the wooded areas of Florence, chasing a princess? Probably not, but if it looks, sounds, and feels real, who’s to say that it isn’t? The same holds true for the rest of the mythology-infused moments of fantasy that are weaved throughout. Caverna is about how the deepest parts of one’s psyche often fuel the art that they unleash upon the world. It is not the first film to do this. Nor will it be the last. It then becomes a question of whether or not its somewhat-psychedelic arthouse notions are enticing enough to draw you into its web. This is very much a niche piece of filmmaking, with a heavily disjointed nature that can and will push many a viewer away. If you’re inclined to welcome such filmmaking, however, then there’s a lot to enjoy here. Complementing its wilder storytelling tactics is a lot of striking imagery. The cinematography – both in the fantasy and “real world” sequences – is sumptuous throughout, often giving the film a lush and vibrant look. In terms of pacing, it never overstays its welcome, which has ultimately resulted in a runtime that barely exceeds an hour. That might be a turn-off to those looking for something grander, but it also means that it avoids the bloat that plagues a lot of modern arthouse fare. Swayze & Contaldo clearly know that not everything needs to be 2 ½ hours long. Caverna might not knock your socks off, but if you’re open to its imagination, you’ll be in for an interesting ride. About the Film Critic Daniel Baldwin Digital / DVD Release, Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Melaka Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Swati Verma | Posted on: Aug 14, 2023 Directed by: Muhlis Gursoy Written by: Muhlis Gursoy Starring: Muhlis Gursoy The writer-director Muhlis Gursoy through his beautiful creation pays tribute to his motherland as well as his natural parent. The projects like Melaka and Istanbul allowed him to follow his passion and caught the attention of the surroundings. The plot of the movie revolves around a cinematic short film that takes one through the beauty of the city of Melaka Malaysia. Melaka opens with a black screen and an alarm vibrating while it continues to snooze off getting the audience ready to build an emotional connection with the content and gradually falling in love with the beauty of Melaka Malaysia from the very beginning of the screenplay. The transitions and continuity between the various shots are maintained to add realism and relatability to the subject matter and keep the viewers interested for the entire running time of the film. A series of long shots to showcase even the minute details of Gursoy’s travel experiences in this particular trip A series of mid-shots and close-up shots are used to capture the cultural references of Melaka to increase the degree of audience engagement with the movie. The set design, colour pallet, camera angles, locations, lighting, sound, dialogues, costume, hair, makeup, and props complement the subject matter as well as the mood of Melaka. In terms of performance, Muhlis Gursoy plays multiple roles like director, cinematographer, editor, and producer in making of this beautiful ode to express praise, glorification of the land that has seen one’s childhood and helped in becoming what one has always dreamed of and also to the mother who has given birth to their offspring to be able to do so. Gursoy brilliantly balances between technicalities of filmmaking and the much-required emotional depth to keep the audience engaged especially in case of such a short running time of the film. Nurhaiza Gursoy (Mother of Muhlis Gursoy) who becomes his biggest cheerleader as well as the inspiration behind kickstarting Melaka and discovering the love and passion relating to photography and videography. Melaka talks about staying true to one’s roots and appreciating the same every chance they get. The short film reiterates the importance of loving and supportive parents that can assist the child to achieve both short-term and long-term goals in life even with the regular struggles that everyone faces. The dramatic piece tells its audience about the significance of various experiences in life and the joy of capturing them with the help of the camera. The cinematic piece teaches us how essential it is to learn the art of giving back in the form of tribute for the unconditional love nature provides us with to blossom daily. The creative piece restates the power of expressing what one feels towards the place they belong to or their loved ones because there is no right time as such to plan these things and we as people should listen to our hearts/instincts. To Conclude, I would like to thank the makers for reintroducing major life lessons the viewers needed to revisit and its subtle treatment to make it close to real-life situations. About the Film Critic Swati Verma Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

★★★★ Directed by: #ChristopherDeakin Starring: #GemmaWhiteley, #AdamMercuryBrown, #JoyceBranagh, #AshleyGregory, #EleanorJessicaRoberts Short Film Review by: Alexandra James A Happy Ending is a spoof reality television show that pokes fun at some of the court room dramas we see today. The show focuses on a young married couple and displays their inner conflicts with one another. For wife Lizzie, she is prepared to divorce her husband for not ever being able to satisfy her in all areas…but specifically in the bedroom! This dark comedy is a combination of Judge Judy, Love Island dramas and absurdity all wrapped up in a show called ‘Out of Order.’  For main character Lizzie, regrettably, this was unforgiveable, and she was ready to take her life into her own hands, her husband’s money and then leave him! However, as the drama progresses, certain secrets come to light and the audience discover that Lizzie is not as squeaky clean as she presents herself to be. As like many of these shows, the audience feed off this scandal and the juicier the scandals become, the better! The short film begins in a court room, its all lights, camera action as the jury take their seats and listen to Ms Who’s tales of woes and the lack of satisfaction she has had to endure for a good few years. Their marriage is in turmoil and there’s no coming back from this, especially when we find out husband David Ducksoup has been going to certain places alone to get his kicks elsewhere…For our Judge this appeared to be a clear-cut case, however, certain witnesses began to shed light on the couple’s marriage which left the judge having to make some tough decisions. A Happy Ending is a witty and outrageous film that keeps you hooked until the very end. It was great to see some of those ‘behind the scenes’ moments where the director instructs some of the reality stars to add more tears at this point or show your angry side when you say this line. Many people believe each scene is authentic and completely unfabricated. However, nothing we see on TV is ever how it truly is, which made for a hilarious premise and managed to break down that wall between fact and fiction and showed us exactly what was behind the curtain. The characters themselves were very funny and combined with the comical storyline and dialogue, it makes for an entertaining show that I would certainly be investing in if it came into fruition!

★★★ Starring: #DevonGrevious, #NateReynolds, #TylerMcCray Directed by: #NateReynolds Short Film Review by: Alexandra James Shear Disturbance focuses on the theme of anxiety and how much it can affect day to day activities such as the simple act of getting a haircut. For protagonist Tyronne, this typical action becomes far more than that and is such a trigger that he becomes completely consumed by even the thought of it. This can be a very real experience for many people that suffer with anxiety, it can become debilitating and stop you from going about your daily life. Director Nate Reynolds portrays these struggles and highlights the importance of patience and understanding when interacting with a person struggling to keep their anxiety under control. The narrative itself is very simple and I think although this is a short film, it would have been great to truly expose the pain within the anxiety. It would have helped the storyline further to pull back the covers of Tyronne’s mind and provide the audience a sense of what it feels like to have this fear. The physical signs were apparent with the trembling and shyness when speaking to the barbers. However, a cutaway of Tyronne’s mental state would convey the severity and seriousness of his condition. It was interesting to see the negativity towards Tyronne as well, the barber seemed to have little to no patience and believed that Tyronne was wasting his time and essentially fooling around. Nate was able to suggest that we need to be more perceptive and recognise the signs of anxiety to help that person and bring them into a calmer and more relaxed environment to support and keep their anxiety under control. Unfortunately, for Tyronne, the experience became all too much, and he was unable to control his emotions and left the shop disappointed in himself. However, another barber came out after him and reassures him that he is not alone. In fact, he has also experienced these feelings and encourages Tyronne to speak with someone to overcome his struggles. Shear Disturbance has a message within, and director Nate Reynolds uses this short film to tear down the stigma and shame of living with anxiety and instead, Reynolds concentrates on the importance of speaking about this subject and sharing these struggles as this will ultimately educate others to understand more about the experience as well as learn how to help and manage them.

★★★★★ Starring: #IsidoraFairhurst, #MiaMckennaBruge, #RitaBernardShaw, #DaniDyer, #MalachiPullarLatchman Directed by: #TeddyNygh Short Film Review by: Alexandra James Watch What I Do is an all-female cast and short drama. It focuses on 3 teenage girls in secondary school attempting to navigate their way through friendship, social status, and their love for basketball. Being a teenager today can be a difficult transition, emotions and arguments become heightened and at this point in life. Conflicts at this age are all consuming and it becomes difficult to break away and see the light, as well as ignore the negativity. This becomes the case for protagonist Layla, as she struggles to become friends with the new girl joining the group. Layla often feels excluded and is unable to connect with Nikki, who chooses to disregard or shame Layla as a form of one-upmanship making her appear to be the ‘popular’ friend out of the group. Layla must find a way to channel her anger and focus on what is most important to her, true friendship, and her passion for sport. Layla’s skills in basketball become clear when she walks past a court and jumps at the chance to make a shot, she is encouraged by the other players to join and be a part of the team. However, through fear of ridicule she shy’s away from this opportunity and ignores their praise. Instead, she is left feeling embarrassed and even more of an outcast by showing an interest in the sport. It became evident that Layla has some form of anger issues which she needs to work on. Layla often represses these thoughts of violence and aggression; the viewer is given snippets of Layla’s frustrated mind with use of cutaway shots. Her anger becomes fuelled when faced with conflict, and unfortunately for Layla she becomes tested to her limit as Nikki starts to put a wedge between her and her friendship with Kezia. Layla has managed to control this anger for a long period of time, however, like a bubbling pot, it does not take long for this anger to spill. The characters are extremely relatable, especially to teenagers growing up and learning to adapt and change throughout their school years and rise above the hate. Director Teddy Nygh breaks down some of the barriers that stop kids from being their true selves. Nygh highlights that for Layla, basketball gives her the chance to channel her energy, focus and discover some new friends who follow a similar passion. This was a great story, and the characters were able to really convey that emotion of betrayal, fear, hurt but also happiness and the importance of friendship. It was an enjoyable watch and the interactions between each character were engaging throughout, you really feel for Layla’s character and want her to overcome her fears and see the true bond between her and Kezia.