Filmmaker Alex Proyas is probably best known for movies like The Crow, Dark City, and I Robot. I think Spirts of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds was his debut feature, and if you can get past the clunky title, there's a fair bit to like here.
It's sort of a post-apocalyptic story set in the Australian outback, centring on a mysterious stranger who starts living in a remote house with a brother and sister and alters their lives in various ways, but the plot's pretty loose overall, and not too important.
It's a really beautiful looking and sounding movie. So many shots are very bold and visually striking, and many look as though they could be album covers (in a good way of course). I thought the musical score was excellent too.
Less can be said about the acting and some of the dialogue. I guess it's okay for a smaller movie like this, but they definitely pale in comparison to the look and sound of the film.
It might've been better as a short film, as it does feel pretty slow and drawn out at points. Also, it peaks in the opening credits, where the music and visuals take centre stage, but it remains a pretty good watch throughout thanks to the well-realised vision.
Proyas was already a very confident director even this early in his career, and this film works pretty well despite its flaws.
It's sort of a post-apocalyptic story set in the Australian outback, centring on a mysterious stranger who starts living in a remote house with a brother and sister and alters their lives in various ways, but the plot's pretty loose overall, and not too important.
It's a really beautiful looking and sounding movie. So many shots are very bold and visually striking, and many look as though they could be album covers (in a good way of course). I thought the musical score was excellent too.
Less can be said about the acting and some of the dialogue. I guess it's okay for a smaller movie like this, but they definitely pale in comparison to the look and sound of the film.
It might've been better as a short film, as it does feel pretty slow and drawn out at points. Also, it peaks in the opening credits, where the music and visuals take centre stage, but it remains a pretty good watch throughout thanks to the well-realised vision.
Proyas was already a very confident director even this early in his career, and this film works pretty well despite its flaws.