By [From Jan. 19 to 29, Flixist will be bringing you live coverage, from Park City, Utah, of Sundance Film Festival 2012. Keep an eye out for news, features, videos, and reviews of some of the most anticipated films to hit the festival circuit in 2012.]
Hey, guys. I’m still alive and surviving. I saw some movies. One of which was pretty amazing. Read about it and others below.
Reviews:
Simon Killer
Director: Antonio Campos
With a title like that, you walk into a movie with some expecations. You know, like maybe Simon is a killer. Except, he’s not. He’s a pretty endearing guy who is on vacation in France as he gets over his ex and tries to find out where his life will be going next. Simon is also pretty lonely. It’s only a matter of ties until he graduates from sex chatrooms to a brothel — where he meets hooker with a heart of gold Victoria. And then we discover Simon is a seriously fucked-up dude who … you probably know. The slow reveal of Simon’s true nature is captivating due to Brady Corbet’s strong performance, some great cinematography, and one of the best soundtracks I’ve heard in years. Unfortunately, director gives into lame pretensions too often and bogs the plot down with dead-ends. When we know who Simon really is, we no longer care. But, seriously, where can I buy the soundtrack? — 63, Decent
The Pact
Director: Nicholas McCarthy
The Pact is not going to revolutionize the horror genre. It’s full of cheap scares, cliches, and awkward line readings. Yet, at every moment it’s clear the director thought he was making a smart horror film and sometimes it is, at least visually. Here’s the thing though: it’s bad, but it’s enjoyably bad. Like my favorite horror films, when it’s not geniunely good it’s so bad it’s good. The audience I saw it with was laughing at almost every scene other than the ones that mattered: The horror scenes. If Insidious can find success beyond film festivals, then I imagine The Pact will follow. It’s full of cheap scares, laughable logic, and pretentious direction, but that’s kind of what makes it so enjoyable. Maybe it was a comedy? — 75, Good
The Raid
Director: Gareth Evans
There is a reason people don’t make films as action-packed as The Raid: most directors and actors can’t keep up the originality and momentum, so they settle on 60-percent filler instead. Evans has done the impossible by being extremely resourceful and creative. Even with fight after fight after fight, there is always something new and surprising around the corner. One fight has the characters chasing each other by breaking the floor boards below, while another starts with a thug proclaiming, “Pulling the trigger is like ordering takeout” — so he puts down his gun and chooses to physically beatdown his opponent instead. — 91, Spectacular [Read the full review]
Indie Game: The Movie
Directors: Lisanne Pajot, James Swirsky
I don’t know what it’s like to be the guy on the other side, who is slaving away on their dream game only to have some kid in Texas tell them and the rest of the world it’s crap (Sorry, Achron!) Lisanne Pajot and James Swirsky‘s documentary feature offers us a look into this world and, for that, I am grateful. I only wish it had a bit more clarity and offered a more thorough look at game development and the surrounding industry. — 78, Good [Read the full review here]