Kirpianuscus Reviews

Misnomer (2022)

to be yourself

[3 June 2024]

Maybe, provocative is the fair term to define this sensitive perspective about identity , couple life, desire, secrets and full honesty .

A short film about courage to be yourself and about way to define a relation in new terms.

A queer couple, a dinner with guests, a plastic penis and the shadow of loneliness of one of hosts.

The truth said in the morning after and the reaction of the other.

Gentle crafted, intense message, nice , touching story. Enough for real seduce and create a special ball of emotions for viewer.

In short, a remind- direct at whole, about choices, honesty, happiness, beautiful acted.

The Microscope (2022)

surrealistic

[3 June 2024]

A scientist. New lens for microscop. A special sample in which the tentacle of presumed octopus seems be more than it can represent.

The atack of tentacle becomes start for a kind of reference to Andalusian dog by Luis Bunuel , return to crumbs of classic horrors and precise image of scientific obsession.

A provocative film, more than a good short horror, source of form of fascination and surrealistic poetry about curiosity, passion, inner world and ...octopus.

Inspired image and smart use of minimalistic effects. The feeling to see a sort of Gothic old fashion embroidery. Who real well works.

Eric: Episode #1.3 (2024) Season 1, Episode 3

to say the things

[3 June 2024]

The task of Eric defines this episode in which the figured true about Edgar becomes obvious, in which one of clues has some explanations and two mothers are together in the effort to discover the real facts about their sons.

The episode of victory of Vincent and its price, about his terrible egocentrism, about not so easy decisions and about beginnings.

Eric becomes a trip across experiences not so far by viewer and this virtue gives to it some precious fresh air , against the apparent confusion and bit unrealism in couple situations. And fair portrait of 1980 decade.

Not expecting first answers but being interested by the evolution of details . Fair atmosphere.

Eric: Episode #1.2 (2024) Season 1, Episode 2

portraits

[2 June 2024]

Clues about disparition of Edgar. And the first step for Vincent to determin his come back. Simple sketches becoming a puppet and video recordings offering, mazbe , some answers.

And the old administrator, like the young Sebastian.

Maybe not exactly an impressive series but a well crafted one.

Good story, good acting, fair crafted tension and the science of fair end of episodes. No doubt, virtues/ In same measure, interesting portraits of characters as pieces of puyyle for define 1980 decade , from AIDS to the dark past, from refuge in work and alcohol to the pressure of rich family on shoulders of libertarian son.

So, again, good premises, encouraging steps.

Eric: Episode #1.1 (2024) Season 1, Episode 1

good premise

[2 June 2024]

I loved idea of series. And the presence of Benedict Cumberbatch in cast.

I was seduced by the fine work of young Ivan Morris Howe and the short presence of Ioachim Ciobanu. And, not last, the construction of story, the smart clues of final being obvious good points.

An episode about secrets and selfishness, about obsessions and a presumed huge significant blue hero, proposing some help to humans lost in their restrained worlds.

So, fair premises and good expectations. Sensitive themes and return, in my case , to imaginary friend, tensions in family, morning sundays puppets show and the real traits of various types of monsters.

Gone West (2023)

Xander

[2 June 2024]

Fair mix of nostalgia and melancholia. The shadows of last summer with good friend and imposibility to accept his loss. So, isolation, difficult relation with close persons and the try to define his situation in proper terms, especially after understand the meaning of his friend confession in talks in summer camp..

The beautiful beginning, with talks, sunny days and teen reactions near the other is inspired connected with second part , the tragedy changing , in profound manner, the life of teenager , in an exercise of adaptation to new reality and propose the right answer to the wish of the others about him.

In short, gentle portrait of a young man and the need to conciliate with past.

Incomplete (I) (2023)

defining yourself

[2 June 2024]

In essence, a short film about loneliness, need of the other, derire to be loved and bitterness of mornings.

A mirror - film about the basic wish defining many from us , about dreams, illusions, scenaries about full happiness and the empty , cold reality living in us.

Beautiful dance scenes and the voice defining expectations of the main character looking for a kind of Grail to give sense of his life.- I love this short film for the fair manner to define basic truths. For choreography. For the locations. For the last scenes giving proper light to a problem so careful hide.

In short, Isaw it as just a gem.

In the Lost and Found (2024)

the loss

[2 June 2024]

Acceptance of loss for a young man front to death of his boyfriend , the consolation try of people, the loneliness and the living nightmares.

A story with aspect of sketch, the viewer being author of final lines and connections between pieces offered by film.

Interesting for fair exploration of experience who can not be defined , this mix of fears, regrets, guilty, forms of defence having the gift to make a coherent portrait of tragedy assumed step by step.

The main virtue - fair use of details , the talk between man and boy after funeral, the post on car chair , the difficulty to exprim what real matters being the good parts of a film defined by suggestion to empathy.

Awake (III) (2015)

nice

[1 June 2024]

Difficult to define a film about two blind ladies played by blind actresses. The fascination about gestures , orientation and movements just rules , maybe covering the story itself.

A door to door Jehovah witness visits a not the most polite lady. Their relation starts in tension, for a glass with water the visitor being accepted in house. The closed door, the opened window are the details changing the relation. So, it becomes possible a visit in park, a personal coonfession of host, a cake and a blancket covering the host behind the leave of guest.

Tender, touching - simple words about a pure nice , some provocative , short film.

Paranormal Investigators (2022)

a team

[1 June 2024]

A nice comedy with clever touch of feminism. A paranormal agency - two young men , one pure misoginist, as result of bad sentimental relation , the other a sort of dreamer.

A young lady as intern, not so polite accepted in agency, pragmatic and ...real efficient.

And two cases - one only expression of revenge/ frustrations of one of team members, the other, not so easy but beautiful occasion for the young lady to demonstrate her serious skills.

Sure, not exactly original, but pretty nice, from craft of story to acting.

The recipe being more than familiar, the result is not exactly surprising but clever crafted and pretty sweet.

Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)

in profound sense, beautiful

[1 June 2024]

Long time ago, I desired read the book. Unfortunatelly, the occasion missing and after almost two decades, I have privilege to see its adaptation, same or , maybe, more faimous than the novel itself.

Not the story itself is the source of beauty in this case , but the cast. And, off course, the performances. It is more than great to discover Gong Li,Kaori Momoi,Michelle Yeoh, Ken Watanabe together working to translate, in fair terms, a story duty, impressive for its universal meanings.

Not exactly a film about a geisha but about vulnerability, opportunities and their use, rivalry and, sure, not last, friendship, trust , motherhood feelings and love.

Each of them makes just special this gentle - precise crafted film.

An Uninvited Guest (2020)

powerful message

[31 May 2024]

A profound powerful message about racism, hypocrisy, abuse and reactions about brutal intervention against the other.

A parable, admirable crafted, intense and , unfortunatelly, more than realistic.

A young man is invited at dinner by family of presumed his fiancee. Front to window, a man is beated by a policeman. The only reaction is of guest. With not pleasant consequence, because he becomes victim of overcorrectness of cop.

And the story offers , in inspired manner, a kind of explanation about first moments of film.

A realistic - cold image of near reality. This is the basic virtue of this remarkable very short film.

Guests (2023)

a visit

[31 May 2024]

The simple term to define this short film is precise. A Nigerian couple, living in Great Britain, hosts guests. The meaning of visit is the opportunity for husband of host to obtain a job.

The first meet of host couple, the job proposed, the reaction of proud, stubborn man and the profound vulnerability of guests front not only reaction but about a significant cultural difference, different status and social condition.

A short film impecable crafted and acted, defining- in cold - precise terms- a reality present in 2024 , like in 1972, the year of story.

A film about importance of compromises and the social etiquette. And about a visit defining, in cold terms, two so different realities.

Werckmeister Harmonies (2000)

Bela Tarr

[31 May 2024]

Difficult to say too much about this film , the name of director offering all warnings and explanations.

A young man, an isolated place, the circus.

Enough for a dark story, minimalistic, miseralistic, proposing not exactly a story but a gallery, provocative at whole, of portraits, All what you know about work of Bela Tarr is present in simple, precise manner, and Lars Rudolph offers a great performance who seems a sort of patchwork of cultural references .

In short provocative - familiar, embroidery of pretextes for explore a bizarre world, an isolated community and a young man in his precise way to a sort of personal truth.

Piscine Pro (2022)

a poor young guy

[31 May 2024]

The story seems so familiar than it becomes, scene by scene, just lovely. Indeed, inspired by director experience , it can not be different but , surprising, it works more than well grace to bitter - sweet humor, nice acting and ordinary situation ( not ignoring be myself history teacher, so , the situation of young man is not so far by me ).

Great for dialogues and relation with boss and mates, the lovely detail is the coming to job . An idealistic historian , interested by Viking realities, discovering an ex- colegue who do what he loves, in an absurd , crazy, bizzare job , the story of young man reflected in Piscine Pro offers the old fashion humor of french commedies.

Boy Kills World (2023)

revenges

[31 May 2024]

The motif to see this film , in my case, was Bill Skarsgard. At final, he remains the basic gift , in the rains of fights, blood and moral lessons, not last , some humor.

The story is familiar, few scenes are a sort of deja vu and the final twist sounds pretty reasonable. In essence, it is just enough when you are not exactly fan of action movies.

The temptation remains to define it ...nice. Especially for remind of Michael Jackson in Thriller and for touch of Star Wars and Kill Bill. Indeed, not the most inspired etiquet, but Bill Skarsgard offers just a good job, the voices are clever ingredients, the justice, against obvious obstacles, is crafted brick by brick.

So, a powerful show, with some moral references to classics. And this is all.

Anyone Who Knows (2023)

the past

[31 May 2024]

The past as refuge and only consolation and only certitude. The dance as wise tool for translate the feelings, emotions, vulnerability of a woman who can not accept the end of her marriage, reminding old moments of tender hugs, pure love as a kind of shield against bitter reality.

One of virtues of film, from so many, remains the universal message about isolation in crisis periods and the webb of illusions as priection against truth.

But the dance offers, no doubts, more , maybe a fair -honest portrait of familiar states, always out of precise definitions.

Beautiful, no doubts. More important - familiar. And true.

Monster in the Closet (2013)

in a hotel room

[31 May 2024]

A good premise and a creepy development of it. More precise, a sort of improvisations with ambition to surprise , ignoring the too high predactibility grace to TV news, old cliches and the fake twists.

A mature man and a young hustler in a hotel room.

Sex, talks, a blackmail - revenge, another confessions and a dirty trick . And , finaly , melodramatic end .

In short, a serious fist of cliches , used not so inspired for a film having ambition to be a sort of manifesto reminding only obvious truisms.

So, nothing new and bad taste of the final. Maybe not exactly a waste of time but expression of good intentions.

After Noon (2020)

boys

[31 May 2024]

Two boys together in afternood. Talks , videos, jokes, story about presumed sexual game with a girl, outdoor game .

And the confuse feelings of one of them about his buddy.

The grace, well reflected by admirable scenes , is the main virtue of this short film reflecting the ambiguity of desire, emotions and gestures of preteens , forms for friendship and fascination about the other.

A film like a spring morning, realistic and tender perspective about the tourments of unique age, confusion and touches, sleep of other as simple affection gestures maybe same ambiguous and strange for the boy doing its.

So, two boys, in afternoon, in an apartment.

Bortom (2014)

a return

[31 May 2024]

I loved the precise -gentle manner to explore the sensitiv themes in fair development of a not very simple story about the relation between a lady and her deaf, homosexual son.

Her choice to live far by her boy, the limits of dialogue with son, not only for signs language , the desire to implicate - help-support him and his reserved - cold reactions.

Beautiful performances, inspired image and delicate exploration of painful truths . The dialogue at BBQ party is axis of drama of David for who the absence for long time and the return of his mom, the imposibility to share a happy moment with him for prepaires for come back in her country are sources of dessapointment.

In short, just beautiful.

The End (VI) (2022)

special

[31 May 2024]

It reminds a theater play. A wall, top of it two windows, a presumed vacant lot, a young man, a woman, sitting on ground, leaning on brick wall.

And talking, behind the end of world.

Simple words against fear , tension, loneliness.

Simple afirmation, so familiar questions, counting the seconds.

All is more than familiar, the film reminds part of our ifs/ suppositions/ nightmares.

But the story is so precise crafted, its simplicity is more than correct constructed, the memories about plays and films and books about end of word are so gentle - wise resurrected and Sandrine Sahakians and Charles Realubit are just beautiful in skin of characters.

Indeed, a less then six minutes short film. But just admirable.

The Blue Whale Challenge (2022)

the game

[31 May 2024]

A kind story of revenge. A game , familiar couple years ago and creating serrious thrills to parents of young players of it, a young guy, the voice of woman defining 50 challenges . Before the last, the answer about choice. Exactly the familiar pieces, the fair crafted tension are the sources of interest about a presumed victim of cruelty of a lady. The end offers a right revelation, changing the accent.

In short, very concentrated story, good performances and not so unfamiliar challenges. The image is one of the good points for smart close ups creating bones for story.

So, a man, a woman, a pure dangerous game and its meaning.

Make the Call (2023)

fair ambiguity

[31 May 2024]

Difficult to define the source of seduction of this short film. I suppose , the well used/ crafted ambiguity. Because the film is just a precise constructed embroiderz of flash backs, life of a mother, surviving her daughter for who a tent in backyard is the play place, the encounter with an old friend and the try of the last to understand dark episodes from past.

The result - provocative , good kick to see the film less twice and , maybe, the remind, for part of audience, of episodes from their past.

A film about secrets and fragility who covers it . About high price of truth . And about a little girl and her games near tent. Like the scars of her mom.

Tales of the Unexpected: The Landlady (1979) Season 1, Episode 5

beautiful version

[30 May 2024]

The great virtue of this adaptation is the admirable performance of Siobhan McKenna as landlady. Like the final, the tension of other versions having, in this case, profound inspired crafted confirmation.

The story of young man looking for room for night in a town , the more than kind host and the book of visitors are familiar for many, like different nice performances in the two roles but, in this case, the atmosphere, like the dialogues are just correct , in spirit of Roald Dahl short story and creepy in precise manner, scene by scene.

The result is more than beautiful but pretty fascinating.

Stillness (2023)

fragile beauty

[30 May 2024]

The fragile beauty of this short film about two couples having in common few photos and, I feel this, a common profound painful experience is the main virtue of this delicate, powerful, impressive at whole short film.

A film about way to resist to a terrible lost and to reconciliate with this lost.

Grace seems the proper term to define the story of a photographer , in a hospital, helped by familiar nurse, to a couple suffering a stillbirth.

First impulse was to remind me the photos of XIX century of death people.

But the film offers more - a sort of reconciliation , more useful, maybe , for photographer than for parents.

Well acted, it is , for so many reasons, pure gem.