PVC-1 (2007) User Reviews

Great piece of filmmaking - but frustrating to watch

[chrisalsop1213 · 7/10 · 11 March 2011]

Just saw PVC-1 on a recommendation from a friend and although I had never heard of it, I was seriously intrigued at not only the premise of the film but of course the fact that the movie plays out in a single take. As a camera operator it's an idea that I've always loved so I was very excited to check out this film. The film succeeds on many levels and at times is a gripping piece of work. Excellent camera work, very well shot, genius subtle changes in exposure and well thought out camera movements to help convey the emotions of certain scenes. The acting was also solid except for a few over the top moments. Remember though, this is essentially like theatre with the actors pouring their hearts out for almost an hour and a half. Very well done! However, I found myself becoming frustrated with the film at various points, ranging from the actions of some of the characters, to the inexplicable absence of certain tools (yes i realize this is Columbia but a scalpel will work better than a dinner knife and a car engine will surely generate more heat than a candle), to the lack of rational thinking. I was also upset at the lack of explanation as to why the woman had a bomb placed around her neck. I'm assuming this is a common act - but for what purpose. To what end? Sometimes the lack of motive works amazing but not in this case. And finally, while I applaud the film on its realism, I found there were just too many times where nothing was happening to advance the story and or bring you in to the story. The ending was spelled out but props to the quality of the movie because it still got me. PVC-1 is a great piece of filmmaking, no question. But while other reviewers rave about the movie's impact, I was left feeling somewhat let down. I feel that the filmmakers became too caught up in the whole "single take" thing and forgot to really work on adding more special pieces/elements to the story. For sure check it out. I'm looking forward to Mr. Spiros next film.

Exercise In Tension

[brianfitzgerald-39535 · 7/10 · 4 July 2015]

It's been a few years since I've seen this film, but I'll add a few words.

From a technical perspective the film was incredible for me as I remembered it was filmed in a single take with one camera. That is stage-theatre discipline right there.

I liked the general idea of the plot, but the pacing was agonizingly slow. This did help to achieve some incredible tension as the film progressed. I recommend screening this flick once for the experience; but this really isn't the kind of film you'll find yourself wanting to revisit.

Explosive stuff

[kosmasp · 8/10 · 29 July 2023]

No pun intended - movies in real time are quite rare ... well at least the good ones! And this I would count to the good ones. Depending on your ability to suspend your disbelief you may think even more of it - I can see that some feel this is an undiscovered gem. There are quite a lot of things to love here.

That all being said, the movie is quite exhausting to watch. There is a lot of tension and if like me you thought this would be a greek affair (director being greek and all), you may be a little surprised. Doesn't take anything away from the movie, quite the opposite, might even elevate it for you. Suspend your disbelief and just accept the low budget nature of it all - this is something you might not forget so easily ... (which generally speaking is a good thing)

Not just a cheap gimmick, the single shot tells a powerful story

[rooprect · 10/10 · 28 October 2014]

Alfred Hitchcock was one of the earliest filmmakers to experiment with single shot storytelling--that is, forsaking the conventional tools of cinema: cuts, edits, time lapse & multiple cameras. In his 1948 masterpiece "Rope", he tells the story of a murder and the slow unravelling of the murderer in real-time, using only around 10 cuts (which were unavoidable due to film cameras being limited to 10-minute magazines). Most critics called the film "experimental", but the technique remains, to this day, one of the most suspenseful (and certainly difficult) ways of telling a story. The audience is brought into a real-time drama, like Orson Welles' "War of the Worlds" radio broadcast, or perhaps a CNN broadcast of the 9/11 disaster. Real-time events remind us that we also dwell in the same world as the drama we are watching. And a capable director can make us feel like we're in the drama itself.

With this approach, there is no room for error; like a stage play, everyone has to be spot on. But "PVC-1" is no stage play. Unlike the minimalistic "Rope" which takes place entirely within 2 rooms, and unlike the carefully orchestrated "Russian Ark" (another single-shot film) which takes place in the rooms of the Hermitage Museum, "PVC-1" takes us across literally miles of scenery, never giving us the claustrophobic feeling of "Rope" but, perhaps more chilling, it gives us the feeling of having nowhere to run from a diabolical device that could end your life at any second. This is no tight, close-quartered, darkly-lit thriller like most. Here, scenes are wide open, unafraid to show the majesty of nature (a rural Columbian mountain village) contrasted starkly against ones mortality.

The story is very simple: in the first 10 minutes, a woman gets a PVC collar bomb glued around her neck. For the next 80 minutes we follow her plight as she & her family try to get help. No zany plot twists are necessary, no mysterious whodunnits are required. Plain & simple, this film conveys the feeling of facing an untimely death.

Director/writer/camera operator Spiros Stathoulopoulos brings us this emotionally gripping story based on the true events that happened to 53-year-old farmer Elvia Cortés on May 15, 2000. Don't google it until after you see the movie, lest the ending be ruined for you. Even so, you might be shocked to see how little information there is on the incident, and some of it inaccurate, such as blaming FARC, a militant group of Marxist revolutionaries. As this film shows, it was no grandiose terrorist plot. We see in the first 10 minutes that it was a case of common criminal violence over a petty 15 million pesos ($7000). Again, no elaborate spy stories or conspiracy theories are required; Stathoulopoulos is showing us a simple crime and its not- so-simple effect on people. This is storytelling stripped to the bone, and it works.

Even though there are tons of amateur "raw footage" thrillers flooding the movie world, there is nothing amateur about "PVC-1". Don't expect some shaky-cam "Blair Witch" nonsense designed to beat your mind into submission. The cinematography here is smooth and deliberate, and every camera movement for 90 minutes is carefully planned in order to keep the story & themes moving forward. I know I said that this film is raw & simple, but it still touches on some deep thoughts. In particular, it makes us wonder, what is the role of faith & religion during terrible times? Other moments rely on excellent silent acting to awaken the philosopher in all of us, like the scene when the policeman is standing alone in an abandoned building, his mind racing like a hamster wheel while, outside, we see traffic continue, business as usual. There are many such poetic moments in "PVC-1", and for what it aims to accomplish, this film is picture perfect. I haven't given out a perfect 10 since I saw Orson Welles' "The Trial", but this film truly deserves it.

TAKE THE REALITY BITE COLOMBIAN PVC-1 CHALLENGE...TRULY A MIND-BLOWING EXPERIENCE!

[Tony-Kiss-Castillo · 10/10 · 19 January 2024]

A COLOMBIAN Film that is Astoundingly "DIFFERENT"!!!

BUT BEFORE diving in....

FIRST... Let us FOCUS on the Title's Content and Context:

You think you know "Reality" in movies? If you do, I invite you to take the PVC-1 CHALLENGE! BTW, due to Non-Stop PVC-1 Ricocheting around my brain since seeing it some hours ago, I have revised my rating to 10*! Upfront, I will state very clearly: I absolutely cannot even Begin to be the LEAST BIT objective about this film. I really don't think any Colombian or any long time resident of Colombia possibly could be either! 6.8 Stars Average.... Huh! Pathetic!!!

Let me tell you a few things you DON'T know about PVC-1. Forget the Blurb. This is the most realistic Single-Take, Real-Time, Docu-Drama any of us have ever seen. Why? From the "Family-That-Slays-Together-STAYS-Together" opening scene; where the Can't-Get-Out-A-Single-Sentence-Without-Multiple-Obscenities Uncle/Patriarch sociopath/psychopath "Traqueto" whips his motley crew into shape for their up-coming grizzly caper... Until the literally mind-blowing, in every sense of the word, closing scene; every minute detail, EVERYTHING depicted on-screen is a pure, unadulterated Reality Bite. 6.8 STARS?!?! GIVE ME A BREAK!!!!!

OK...Here is my COLOMBIAN PVC-1 CHALLENGE: As you watch the hysterical Elvia, mother of three (Merida Urquia) being fitted for her PVC-1, pipe-bomb necklace, superimpose, on her face, the face of YOUR mother, or sister, or wife, daughter, girlfriend, Aunt, cousin, or best friend...as she scrambles around desperately, for her life, as the seconds tick by. When the bomb-squad police lieutenant, who is trying franticly to save her from certain death, cuts his hand with a knife and says to her, "I'll be back in SECONDS!" She then loses it completely! "SECONDS?" Elvia shrieks insanely, "What Seconds? They took ALL my Seconds! I don't have ANY Seconds for ANYBODY!"...And then I CHALLENGE you to rate this 6.8 STARS! Because the harshly stark reality of Colombia ensures that when WE look at Elvia, we see the face of someone near and dear to us! 10**********

....ENJOY! / DISFRUTELA!!!

Any comments, questions or observations, in English o en Español, are most welcome!

The Best Film of the Year

[haamys · 3 July 2008]

I saw this film recently at a festival and I had to leave the theater several times because it was so gritty and real, sometimes I forgot that I was watching a movie and thought I was really dealing with the situation handled in the film.

Everything about this film was perfect.

This film should win the Oscar this year for Best Film, Best Script, Best Actors, and Best Director. Even though this is only his first film the director has proved that he is among the greatest directors in film history. He is probably number 3 right now, just because he has only done one film, but he will soon be #1. The film is probably the 5th, 6th or 7th greatest film of all time. I would say probably 6th, and that is just because other films have more money.

The film is this years JUNO and will win Oscars.

A Movie Without Much Suspense Built On A Gimmick

[TheFilmGuy1 · 5/10 · 30 September 2012]

I'm sure hearing that the movie was shot in one take attracted the attention of many people, me included. Sadly, while it is pretty cool to see a movie filmed like this, it can be slow or boring at moments, as probably expected. I also felt that the movie had no tension or suspense. You would think there would be, seeing as it's about a woman with a bomb strapped to her neck, but it was lacking. Instead of suspense, I just was waiting to see if the bomb did or didn't explode at the end. I wanted to like this movie, but it just left me unsatisfied. While is was a very interesting concept, this movie ended up being very disappointing.

One of the great films of our century.

[zoubou · 9/10 · 30 June 2008]

I'm a working actor actor in Los Angeles and being involved in film and theatre since the age of 7. This last week I was fortunate enough to view a piece of cinematic history called PVC-1.

I watched the movie at the LA Greek festival and I found myself in awe. Not only the director had the ability to shoot the entire movie in a continuous shot of 87 min but in those 87 min he had the ability to capture the audience's heart. With subtle movements of the camera he was able to express raw and electrifying emotions.

As a friend of mine described it with tears in his eyes after we were leaving the auditorium:" I haven't felt so human in years". There is something glorifying in achieving catharsis through a movie, something that many theoreticians believe it's only achievable in the theatre or opera. But Mr. Stathoulopoulos did it. And when i heard him speak about his film later that day i understood how he was able to do it.

It wasn't his superb knowledge of technical matters or breathtaking ability of steady cam usage, but the simple fact that he cares about his fellow humans. With a mixture of humility and the self confidence possessed only by those who know that they are destined to succeed Mr.Stathoulopoulos explained the inspirational force behind PVC-1.

Im not a critic and i never had the intention of being one, but i've being watching movies since i can remember. Fortunately i was raised on Fellini, Visconti and Kurosava and i can say with confidence that all three of them would have generously applauded PVC- 1.

Thanks once more to the director and artists involved in the production. it was an experience i will cherish for the rest of my life.

Amateur ..in everything..

[ironfist699 · 2/10 · 12 February 2021]

This one cannot have this kind of rating...no way...its an amateur movie.. amateur actors.. amateur everything.one take movie...without any plot or twist.. absolutely pointless in every way.the only positive i can find is the story...but thats it.

Gripping Film!!

[flyboy226 · 10/10 · 30 June 2008]

PVC-1 is one of the most influential films i've seen all year. You can't take your eyes of the screen for one second. The brilliant camera work and directing, is complimented by outstanding acting and a sound script. This is a movie not to be missed. It succeeds in pulling you into a true story that deserves such a telling. If only every film in Hollywood had a film maker who could do justice in such a gripping fashion.

If you haven't seen this film yet, you're missing out!! Trust me you won't be disappointed!

GO SEE P.V.C-1!!

A Single Shot Hits the Target

[fiprescireport · 10/10 · 3 June 2008]

A single shot, a real time film on location about an assault, a ransom demand, bomb deactivating and desperation should have been nothing else than a breathtaking piece with its audacity. P.V.C.-1, the FIPRESCI award winner of the International Competition, is indeed breathtaking. Given the information that P.V.C.–1 takes place in a rural area in Colombia —where the political situation is critical— and the film is based on an actual event, the tension automatically increases. It is a brilliant directorial debut.

The outstanding work of the steady cam operator — by the director Spiros Stathoulopoulos himself — makes the audience become eyewitnesses to the tragicomic tale, seeing the helplessness of the authorities dealing with a cruel crime. We witness a poor farmer's family being slowly victimized by the harsh third world reality.

The originality of the idea and style transform the event into a genuine thriller. The panic- stricken family contacts the local military authorities and makes an appointment to meet the unit that might dismantle the PVC tube device from the mother's neck at the crossroads. They are not sure if it is a real bomb or a sick joke.

The use of real time and the camera's movement like the human eye as if turning our heads from one point to another, as if changing positions, creates a psychological effect. We feel as nervous as a person on location. Time passes, it gets darker and we get impatient.

P.V.C.-1 succeeds in creating the suspense that most thrillers, horror and action films fail to. It heartily involves us.

Without any artificial lighting, without any close ups, without any cuts, with only little dialogue, with amateurish acting and with some bitter, dark humor derived from the absurdity of the whole event, P.V.C.-1 reaches the level of high profile film-making.

Cheap

[wellloaded · 2/10 · 30 May 2013]

I started to feel like I'm wasting my time when the family around the main character pretend to be crying, such a poor acting. The film idea is actually good but the ridiculous execution of it... oh dear: "a high tech bomb, remotely controlled, fit into a pvc pipe glued around the neck of a woman that lives in a poor rural area" it's out of place as a minimum. Now and again the bomb emits a sound and the reaction of the characters... feels like watching kids acting at a local school theatre. -(fake tears) -Papito! -(fake tears) -Mamita! -(fake tears) -Goto first fake tears and repeat. There are some interesting ideas though, like the run looking for help and the way the camera is used throughout the movie, but bottom line it feels like a 10 years old trying to paint a Gioconda.

Nice try

PVC 1 Raises the bar for all filmmakers.

[leslielopezlopez · 10/10 · 1 July 2008]

PVC 1 will most definitely open new doors for filmmakers all around the world. The director's phenomenal approach to this suspenseful and intense, clock ticking story while still taking the time to capture the warmth and the love of his characters is bewildering.

This true story is genuinely exposed of all its various human elements that surface in a moment of tribulation. These fundamental reductions of a human being are captured in real time for 87mins. The concept of time ticks over you louder and the suspense felt deeper than you have ever felt in a film.

I was truly captivated and left in awe. One film I will remember.

Pessimistic view

[jordondave-28085 · 4/10 · 18 September 2023]

(2007) P. V. C. 1 (In Spanish with English subtitles) THRILLER

Cinematography, co-produced, co-written and directed by Spiros Stathoulopoulos that has a mother gets strapped with a bomb tied around her neck for a $7,000 ransom demand from a supposedly wealthy family living in Columbia for a limited amount of time! Love it or hate it, I'm one of few who didn't care so much for this because I've seen this all before with the only difference is the setting. One of the problems is that it doesn't consider some obvious alternatives, I don't quite remember anymore upon writing this review. I hate heavy loopholes which this film consist of! Much of the camera style is hand held.

Undiscovered Cinematic Brilliance

[randerson7 · 10/10 · 1 June 2008]

You watch the movie. You are on the edge of the seat the entire time. The film ends and you are breathless, tired from the intensity of the film. You have to take a few minutes to piece together all that has just happened before you come to the conclusion that the film was amazing. This all happens before you realize how it was filmed. The entire movie was done in one take, 86 minutes of a single steady cam recording the entire adventure. All done by one man. The raw skills behind the production of this movie are staggering. The film itself would be an amazing accomplishment considering it was filmed and produced in Columbia, and the story is true- But if you take on top of the fact it was filmed in one take with a peanuts budget, you appreciate the cinematic brilliance behind it all. You really have to see it to understand. The film shows an accurate portrayal of the everyday violence occurring in Columbia, and the response of government aid to these attacks. The acting is terrific and extremely convincing, the story is gripping.

This movie is so incredibly unique. It shows the much-to-come-talent of Mr. Stathoulopoulos. This is a must-see for anyone who appreciates an intense film, and furthermore the work behind one.

Sad Reality

[carolamahecha · 10/10 · 8 January 2014]

Just so you know it's spelled Colombia, not Columbia (totally different places so please keep in mind) Sadly, this movie wasn't neither mentioned nor promoted in Colombia. Maybe this is because only three of the main characters are actually professional actors. The rest of the cast comes from the town in which they shot the movie, also, they were casted at least one week before the shooting, so for those who complained about the acting, this is the reason why. Another sad fact is that while the movie won several awards (and money) the local actors never got paid.

For instance, my Father plays one of the policemen, Coronel Ríos (big guy with the deep voice) and my Uncle plays one of the terrorists from the beginning. Till today they haven't seen a dime! Pretty unfair huh? This is the reality of this country. Injustice!!!

touching

[Vincentiu · 28 July 2013]

it can be a documentary-drama. or part of news. but it is a little more - expression of a director great ambition. and the result is remarkable. sure, the axis is the manner of filming. than - the measure of tension. the wise art of detail. and the image of Merida Urquia in middle of fear and hope. it is not great or impressive. only honest. and inspired instrument to remember the atmosphere and absurd of every war. the danger, in clothes of metaphor, can be only fake life buoy. the end - another warning. not complicated, not extraordinary. a woman. and her fight for life. a movie who may be reduced only at taste after its end.