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Reviews
Toxic Impulses (2022)
Interesting watch!
Without giving away any spoilers whatsoever... This movie is a roller coaster in terms of what fulfilling expectations. For an indie film, it must be said that there are some seriously high quality shots littered throughout which demonstrate a lot of flare behind the camera. A few technical things could be improved upon such as consistency with the lighting, but it gives this film more of a cult charm to it than something that takes itself too seriously which I loved. Some great acting in there with the more intense scenes too. Overall the story kept my attention and wanting to find out what happens, with a good ending to boot!
The Misadventures of Mistress Maneater (2020)
An Indie produced to the highest of indie standards!
I want to start this review by stating that this is an indie movie, and as such shouldn't be judged by the same metrics as studio productions. I admire the ambition and the talent put on display here, and that goes an awful long way in my book.
The first 5 stars from me come from the fact that this film doesn't break the golden rule: It ain't boring! From start to finish this film is one entertaining scene after another, with wit and charm galore.
After that, the absolute best thing I can say about this film is that the technical details are all on point! The cinematography is very pleasing to the eye. The editing is paced extremely well. The sound design is brilliant, with the music carrying the emotion of the scenes perfectly, and the effects working to create some very humorous moments.
I also want to point out that the lead actress, Lorrisa Julianus, is extremely charismatic, and entirely capable of carrying the weight of being the film's protagonist. With the second lead, Mickey O'Sullivan, deserving a special mention also for doing a terrific job as the love interest.
To get into some criticisms: The action scenes betray the film somewhat, showing that the budget wasn't really there to do them justice (though the cinematography is still pleasant enough for you to appreciate them). The acting from the secondary characters also evidenced the lack of funding to hire more professional actors, as many of them just can't keep up with the leads. And lastly, the plot itself (including the dialogue) evidences that this story wasn't written by a veteran writer. However, given once again that this is an indie film, and a look at the credits would show you that the film is written by the lead actress, it's all the more impressive that this writer/director wife/husband team were really out there trying to do this on their own, and you absolutely cannot fault them for that. In fact, it should serve as inspiration.
As you can see, the film's shortcomings are almost entirely budget related, and this indie team should be applauded for their efforts. I would be VERY interested to see what the director, C. J. Julianus, could do with proper financial backing.
A 7/10 from me.
The Berlin Bride (2019)
Trippy, obscure, and delightful
Totally not what I expected. Unlike anything I've seen before. Reminded me of movies before my time, and it was nice to be reminded of that age of cinema. 2019? You could have fooled me!
There's a lot of really well crafted imagery on show. Some really great cinematography. The style and technique of some of the set piece executions showed a lot of skill by the director. There was something almost Hitchcockian about them.
The director certainly has a voice and a philosophy, and that's always great to see. Given that this isn't my type of film generally speaking, it had me intrigued and entertained, and you can ask no more than that.
Strongly recommend!