REVIEW: Triangle

Triangle
Director: Christopher Smith
Year 2009

Triangle is like the movie Groundhog's Day but in hell, plus a dose of Back to the Future where Marty McFly doesn't try to get his parents to make-out, but rather hacks them to pieces with a fireman's ax. This is what watching Triangle is like and honestly it's a whole lot of torturous fun.

The film starts out with our main character Jess, played by the always pouty Melissa George, as she interacts with her spastic son at their household. It starts out kind of trippy with Jess loosing track of her kid and then she is suddenly arriving at the docks to set sail with a friend and his group of pals. She says that her son is at school and that's that. It's all pretty weird but it's later explained and boy what a mind fuck. Anyways back to the story.

The six of them set sail out into the Atlantic Ocean and it's a beautiful sunny day. The entire movie looks as though someone dropped a box of bleach onto the film, with the whites blooming out to dominate the composition. Everything is bright and clean and almost sterile looking. This is a far cry away from director Christopher Smith's other films. In both Creep and Severence, he went for the dark and gritty visuals, working mostly in low light situations and thriving on the pitch black shadows that so work in horror movies. Here he has gone the exact opposite and soaked the frame in the hot sun, blasting the retinas to display a cheery morning sail along the ocean blue. Well in the beginning of the film at least. As the film progresses he'll fall back into his old ways and to great effect.

What a beautiful day for a sail.

As our characters are enjoying their perfect day under the sun, a freak storm suddenly appears out of nowhere and proceeds to wallop the hell out of our unsuspecting friends. Their ship is thrashed about in the storm like a child's toy boat as it crashes upon the walls of the bathtub, struggling to stay afloat. These storm scenes are really intense and that's helped from the superb acting of Jess' love interest Greg, played by Michael Dorman. For some reason I felt drawn to his performance and I really enjoyed what he brought to the table for this film. 

Holy shit we're all gonna die!!!

After the storm beats the crap out of their sailboat and capsizes it, they are left stranded, clinging to the boat as the storm leaves as mysteriously as it had appeared. It doesn't look good for the group and they've already lost one of the girls in the storm. You can see the worry in Melissa's character as she wonders if her son is alright. You'll notice a lot of what Jess does throughout this film has to do with her son. She's a good mother, struggling to deal with a lot of heavy stuff. Things that at this moment the audience isn't full aware of and soon the horrible truth will come crashing down, but first here comes an abandoned ocean-liner.

Out of a hazy glow-like fog comes a gigantic cruise ship and our characters are overjoyed. They signal for the ship to pick them up and they notice someone on board looking down at them. Who was that stranger? We will soon find out.

The castaways were so overjoyed that they spontaneously

started to perform the Village People's "YMCA".

They board the ship only to find that there isn't a soul to be seen. It appears as if the entire ship is empty so they decide to investigate further. The location of the ship is beautiful and the overall design of the set is rather elaborate for such a small movie. There are so many sections to this ship that each area gives a specific feel and look to the scene and you really get that haunting feeling that this ghost ship has a sorted story to tell.

After boarding the ship, no one felt

like continuing the party with "Macho Man".

It is at this time that the story really sets off into another realm, but it's not sudden. The film takes its time as it slowly introduces new plot devices that shift and twist the storyline. The first element that is introduced is the mystery plot. The characters find an exact replica of Jess' key chain down one of the hallways, leaving many questions on what the heck is going on in this damn boat. Then the slasher element is introduced. We are led to believe that there is a masked killer that is chopping up our rescued characters and shooting holes through them. Then we have the rug pulled out from under us when people start accusing Jess of trying to kill them. Could there be a crazed doppleganger on board? The plot thickens but before we can figure out what exactly is going on, Jess gets separated from the group and is fighting for her life against a faceless killer.

Melissa George, hiding from an unknown evil.

As Jess tries to escape the masked killer we are treated to Christopher Smith's familiar horror visuals reminiscent of the underground subway tunnels from his film, Creep. We are slap dab in a slasheresque scene with the killer slowly stalking the grounds, looking for his victim. Melissa really gives her all in this film and it's nice to see her at the center of a story and not just a side character like in 30 Days of Night or the Amityville remake. She did an impeccable job in those films, but she wasn't really the focal point of those stories. Here she really gets a chance to shine, playing multiple roles with different personalities and motives. She pulls them all off and really proves she can carry a film to great results.

Here's Sack Boy!

She can also bring the action. Melissa looks absolutely ferocious as she battles the sack faced killer. She swings an ax like a champ and all her fight scenes look pretty dangerous as she proceeds to go ape shit all over the killer. Now the film does something unorthodox at this point that makes you feel like the movie is over. It's at this pivotal point that you think, what the heck are they going to show for the next half hour of this film? Well my friends, this is where the film goes from the typical haunted ghost ship like concept and into a whole other realm completely. Much like in Timecrimes and Run Lola Run, we are presented with a paradox of repeating events that never seem to escape its recurring loop. Call it time travel, deja vu, or the old Groundhog day effect, the mystery behind why Jess is stuck in a time loop and how she is supposed to get out of it is rather original and really emphasizes the horror aspects of this film and to help bring it unto its own. I think that Christopher Smith handles these intimidating concepts with great ease and brings the idea into fresh pastures.

Melissa George paying her homages to Michael J. Fox's Back to the Future 2.

Just when you thought that everything in this kind of genre had been told, Christopher shows us a few more tricks. One of my favorite scenes has to do with the little hints that we get that this is not the first time that Jess has done the things that she's doing. She is sitting on the ground and her necklace with her son's picture on it falls towards a metal grate in the floor. She bends down to get it and notices that there's a bunch of metal things lying at the bottom of the grate. She finally comes to see that they are necklaces and they're lying in a large heap. Shocked, she then drops her necklace down into the grate as it crashes down to rest with the other duplicates. This scene gave me chills. Just knowing that she's repeated this for so long and that she might never get out of this never ending loop and never get back to her son, chilled me for that moment. It's a depressing thought and one that could drive you mad if you were in her situation.

 Holy hell, what a cool scene.

Another great moment is when one of the main characters crawls to her death only to find the bodies of her predecessors surrounding her. This scene is just stupendous and I love the desperation of it all. Imagine the reaction of seeing thirty dead bodies of yourself, knowing that you're about to die and there's nothing you can do about it because it's inevitable. It's a really haunting image and the point gets across so vividly for the character.

Here's Sack Boy again!

There are so many twists and turns in this film and it's plotted out so well that I'm looking forward to what Christopher Smith has in store for us next. His career has impressed with his last three films and he seems to have a grasp on what works in the horror genre. What I like most about him is the freshness he brings to his films. Nothing ever seems treaded over or duplicated. He can present a simple story that has been used before, but make it into his own creation with his own voice. This film is such a send up of so many movies like The Shining, Ghost Ship, and so many others, but when you're watching it, none of those other influences matter because he sets up such a good story that you're enthralled with what is going on up on the screen. You're invested in the characters and you want to see them succeed. You're not thinking about room 237 and how it's a slight homage to Shining or how the set up of seeing a giant abandoned ocean liner is such a hackneyed premise that has been done in every haunted ship movie to date. All of these cliches go away when competent story making takes over and the world that Christopher Smith has presented to us comes to life. Now that is a true sign of a great filmmaker.

The confused look of Melissa George.

Another one of the central themes of this film is that a mother will do anything for their child. We are shown this over and over again as Jess is put to the test on how far she'll go to get back to her son. She does things that I don't think she would have done in any other circumstance, but since we're so invested in her character, we sympathize with her plight and we never condemn her for her actions. Even when we're shown a side of her that is ugly like we do at the very end of this film, we accept that she has learned from her mistakes and that she is going to undo what she has done and change. I enjoyed the struggle that Melissa George's character had to go through and I thought that she did a commendable job portraying a woman that loved her child so much that she was willing to see her own faults and had the courage to try to correct them.

A macabre looking photo of an exhausted Jess.

What Triangle does well is tell the story of a mother's recurring nightmare of self remembrance and impending destinies. Even when we are faced with our inevitable fates we still have the spirit and fortitude to trudge on so we may be able to come through for our loved ones. The story of one woman doing everything she can to be back with her son is an endearing one and one that Christopher Smith has pulled off beautifully in an unorthodox horror setting. The mind boggling loop effect is even more effective by the spectacular visionary moments like when the main character runs into items they already possess and characters meet their previous selves with haunting results. 

There are so many things going for this film that it really is impossible for me not to recommend you checking it out. It has so many familiar moments, yet all of these moments are flipped on their head, giving a new perspective on a most beloved genre. 

4 out of 5 stars        A Great Masterful Entry Into Time-Loop Horror.

REVIEW: Run Lola Run

Run Lola Run
Director: Tom Tykwer
Year 1998


Run Lola Run is an off the rails, pulse pounding German film that follows a young woman by the name of Lola, played by my favorite German lass Franka Potente, as she struggles to deliver 100,000 Deutschmarks to her endangered boyfriend before he decides to rob a grocery store for his lost funds. Franka is amazing in this movie and she left quite an impression on me when I first viewed this film back in college for one of my History of Film courses. Her vivid performance along with her equally vivaciously flaming red hair was just phenomenal. Her portrayal of the character Lola and the actual film has stayed with me ever since that first viewing.

Caller: What are you wearing?

Lola: A grey tank top with red hair.

Caller: Oh. Sexy.

Director Tom Tykwer really melds this story of second chances (and third chances) with a vibrant eye and fervent ear. The story blasts forward, pushed by a constantly kinetic techno soundtrack voiced by starring actress Franka Potente as she blazes through the streets to save her boyfriend. This is one of the best soundtracks that I've ever heard. The unrelenting bass and striking beats, paint such an intense visual image that it accompanies Tom Tykwer's stirring imagery to help make it into a modern marvel of cinematic delights. This film is felt and heard just as much as it is seen.

A striking shot of a red phone, mimicking Lola's wild hair color.

Our story starts out with Lola getting a phone call from her desperate boyfriend named Manni played by the always watchable Moritz Bleibtreu. He has lost 100,000 Deutschmarks on the subway and the people the money belongs to are not too happy. Manni tells Lola that he has 20 minutes until the money is due and if he doesn't have it by then he's in for a world of hurt. He also says that if she can't find the money in time, then he's going to rob the grocery store across the street from where he's calling from. 

There's some pretty interesting angles in this film.

Like the looking up Manni's nose angle. Sweet.

Lola desperately wants to help, so she springs into action and sets off to find a way to obtain the cash. The sequences where she is running through the city on her way to her father's bank are excellently shot and spare no expense on the flare of the moment. These lively shots married with the equally lively music make for some astonishing and memorable instances. These are the moments the film thrives on and once the wheels are set into motion, there's nothing to hold back the story from unfolding as it rushes by at break neck speeds.

With a title like Run Lola Run, did you really

think you weren't going to see Lola run?

What makes this film so impressive, visuals and audio aside, is the concept of giving the main character a second chance to obtain her intended goal of saving her boyfriend. We are treated to a recurring theme as Lola fails to save Manni and then is granted a chance to start her day over and see if she can change things up and succeed. Watching each day begin anew and witnessing Lola as she interacts with the world around her, learning from her previous mistakes, is quite enjoying and enthralling to see play out. Her choices not only effect her life, but the people that she passes, as she travels through the city.

Between each ending and restart, we are given an intimate conversation between Lola and Manni as they lay naked in bed, glazed over by a reddish hue that burns onto the screen. These moments are precious because it's the only real reaction we get between the two lovers and it's a great way to show how much they care about each other. It brings their love story front and center and reminds us why Lola is doing all she can for this man. They're great moments.

Looks like it's the red light special for Lola and Manni.

This play on second chances is really intriguing and yet it's not something that's possible in the real world, but the film is put together so perfectly that it's accepted as possible in the reality that Tom Tykwer has created for the parameters of the film. You could ground it in a concept like time travel, like in the film Timecrimes that I reviewed earlier on this blog, or you could give it a more supernatural aspect like in Christopher Smith's 2009 Sci-Horror, Triangle, which I will be reviewing also. Both ways are great and work for each film, but with Run Lola Run, Tom Tykwer opts to go the more free form route and abstractly throws out the concept to the audience and allows the journey the characters take to sell us on the idea of second chances. It's never written or spelled out for us. We are just taken on faith that this is the way it works in this world and I personally think it gives the film a more poetic leg to stand on.

Damn it feels good to be a gangsta!

This poetic approach moves throughout the film, transforming the story into a modern day fairy tale. All the characters seem birthed from some kind of fantasy while they all have interconnecting stories that never veer far from each other when Lola begins trying to change the layout of their paths. Everyone converges back to each other and all are effected no matter how differently the story unfolds. It's a refreshing tale and told with such whimsy and spirit that it fits perfectly.

Get your filthy hands off my car you damn dirty red-haired freak!

The shifting narrative is quite amazing, but each time you see the futility of it all as Lola again fails to save her boyfriend. The simple idea of an ever changing repeating story is brilliant alone, but Tom Tykwer adds the much needed detail to make it stand out as something far more special then the run of the mill groundhog day effect films. He proceeds to show in quick flashes of still images, the lives of the people that Lola touches. Each person's life is changed drastically, both in good ways and bad, just from a simple decision like jumping over a dog in the stairwell rather then tripping over it and tumbling down the stairs causing you a few precious seconds as you pick yourself up. That small detail adds to a changed world, one that Lola enters out into, over and over, to make things right.

Many of Lola's attempts end in tragedy.

There's also a few quirky elements that add to the feel of the film that Tom places into his editing. For instance, there's a recurring sequence that happens right after Lola hangs the phone up and leaves her apartment. We are treated to an animation of Lola as she descends the stairwell dealing with various things before plunging into the real world as she exits her apartment building. It's a strange choice but one that brings a certain flavor and a likable quality to Lola's character. Almost as if she sees herself as some super hero cartoon on her way to save Manni. The quick segment is cute and it contributes well to the tempo and lucid spirit of the film.

Lola in bug-eyed cartoon form as she starts on her recurring journey.

The obstacles that Lola has to hurdle on her way to saving Manni are all set up with brilliant pacing and genius ingenuity. Traveling alongside Lola in all her desperate follies and inevitable victory is such an enjoyable ride and one that Tom Tykwer has logically put together with great respect to the material that he has birthed. This epic journey is one that is original and genuinely full of spirit thanks to the impeccable direction of Tykwer and the superb acting skills of both Franka Potente and Moritz Bleibtreu.

Cue the Spice Girls song, "When Two Become One".

Run Lola Run is a film that you truly must see. There's something special and magical about the whole thing and the film brings a spirit with it that has not been seen many times in the cinema world. Tom Tykwer wrote and directed a film that will cement himself in the eyes of his fans and any that come to know this beautifully intimate film. In a world where nothing is certain and the path to save the people we love is always cloudy, its captivating to see a film that tackles such heavy subject manner and is able to do it with such flare and visual pizzaz that it instantly wins over any cynical mind and makes you believe in the miracle of cinema. This film does all of that and it's a must for anyone that has a love for movies and stories of the human heart.

5 out of 5 stars        An Energetic, Pulse Pounding, and Vibrant Love Story

REVIEW: Timecrimes

Timecrimes (Los Cronocrimenes)
Director: Nacho Vigalondo
Year 2007

What a wonderful and twisted film Timecrimes is. It takes a simple premise and turns it into an out of control ride where the main character has to return his life back to somewhat normalacy after changing his world in the most drastic of ways. This 2007 Spanish film directed by Nacho Vigalondo is the perfect example of how a great time travel film doesn't necessarily have to be a big budget blockbuster with monumental effects. You just need a good story and superb acting to make an interesting and intriguing film that throws the audience for a loop while maintaining a sense of logic that's inherintly linked to the story.

The story plays out with a man named Hector, performed by a wonderful spanish actor, Karra Elejalde, as he falls into a situation that is way over his head.

Hector, what wonderful adventures will you get into today, you little scamp.

Hector's curiosity will get the better of him in this corkscrew of a tale. He relaxes on a lawn chair in the backyard of his country home, peering through his binoculars when he sees something moving in the woods across the way. He's intrigued and follows the movement only to see a woman undressing. Now he is really intrigued and as his wife leaves to get the groceries, he goes off to investigate.

That's right. Take it off. Take it all off you dirty bird.

He adventures into the woods and to his astonishment he finds the girl. She is totally naked and knocked out with her body resting up against a rock. He proceeds to throw some sticks at her to see if she is alive but she doesn't move. He finds enough courage to approach her seemingly lifeless body, when he is suddenly attacked by an unseen assailant. He is stabbed by a pair of scissors and is bleeding like crazy. He flees the scene and ends up finding a strange building which he breaks into.

It is empty inside, but he finds a walkie talkie and there is another person on the end. The man tells him to hurry to the top of the hill where he is at and he'll be safe. As night creeps into the world, Hector rushes up the path that climbs the hill and enters another strange building where the man with the other walkie talkie greets him. The man tells him that he saw a car coming up the drive and sure enough headlights appear as they begin getting closer and closer. The car stops and a car door can be heard shutting outside, when suddenly a strange head-wrapped man pops his face up into the window and scares the bejesus out of Hector.

Peek-a-boo you fucks you.

The man with the walkie talkie tells him to get inside this massive contraption in the middle of the room and he'll be safe there. Hector jumps in and motions for the man to follow but before Hector knows it, the giant lid begins to close and traps him inside.

Go on, get inside. There's nothing strange about this giant container.

Hector stays inside only for an instant when the lid begins to open again and there's a blinding light. His eyes adjust and he realizes that it's day light out. Confused as all hell, Hector stumbles out of the container and looks around the room. The man with the walkie talkie informs him that he has just traveled back in time an hour and this is where our film really gets going.

What the hell is going on here?

The man with the walkie talkie is actually a scientist named El Joven played by the films actual director Nacho Vigalondo. Joven has found a way to travel through time and he struggles to convince Hector that he is indeed one hour back in time. Where's Doc Brown when you need him. Joven finally convinces him by telling Hector to take his binoculars out and view his house from where they're standing. Hector is shocked to see his wife and himself working in the backyard like they were merely moments before. 

Instead of feeling overwhelmed by being back in time, he seems to feel a hint of jealousy, like this man with his wife is some kind of impostor even though it is in fact him. Driven by his jealousy he decides to put an end to this sick affair and here in lies the cause of all his hardships there after. 

Hector comes to terms that he is in fact back in time and

without the sweet musical stylings of Huey Lewis and the News.

This film handles its themes so well and does it with a whimsical edge. I really enjoy how all the things that happen to his character before the time jump seem to relate to his actions that he takes after traveling an hour back in time. The strange phone calls that he receives earlier in the film, becomes answered when he gets curious about there being another him and he instinctively calls his house to see if its true. The naked girls predicament is explained in detail and we come to find out that he had a major hand in her being at that exact moment and at that exact time. It really is mind boggling and just plain fun to see him remember how things were and act them out exactly in order to not screw up time anymore then he already has.

Foreshadowing of the monster he will become.

Not only does this film have a zig zagging and criss-crossing path, but it also has some lively visuals. There are some beautiful shots with the slasher like killer persona that has his head wrapped in bloody gauss. The melding of so many genre's mixed with a time traveling premise is something I truly have never seen before and it seems to fit perfectly. The visual eye that director Nacho Vigalondo has, really lifts this movie out of its low budget shackles and births it into a new class of higher budgeted films.

This is a great image, but seriously, do not play with scissors.

As the film goes on, Nacho always seems to up the ante. Just when you think that Hector has it all figured out and situated, another problem arises and he has to figure out a way to make things right. Even though it looks exhausting for the character you can't help but feel entertained and overjoyed at how intricate the plot intertwines with itself and how everything in the film is effected by this character's actions whether from the future, past, or present.

It's a great experience when we get to see a memorable scene from another angle and get a better perspective on what really happened in that particular event. This works so well in this film and it helps the viewer to get swept up in the mystery of what else the character had a hand in doing.

Oh snap! It's a peeping-tom stand off.

The genre mashing is one of the top accomplishments this film executes so well. The horror aspect is done well, with the masked killer stalking the main character and then pulling the complete 180 by transforming Hector into the killer. This particular point is something that is unique for this brand of time skewing films. This concept also has traces of an Italian Giallo, with an unknown knife wielding (or scissors in this case) killer.

There's also portions of this film that are quite funny. One of these scenes is where Hector the killer is trying to remember where he was when he saw the killer mocking him with his hands up pretending to have invisible binoculars. He keeps striking the pose over and over again in different directions, making him look like some kind of crazy person. These moments occur throughout the film as he tries to get his life back to normal, only to seemingly dig himself into a bigger hole.

It's also really fun to pretend you're a dirty peeping-tom.

This film really is a fun ride and one that you appreciate with multiple viewings. Knowing in advance that what is happening to the character is caused by the same character, but his future self, is the most enjoyable experience I've ever had with a time traveling movie. He really actually makes his life harder on himself and that's an interesting concept. Even though he is trying to right the wrongs that he's caused, he is the very reason those wrongs exist in the first place. 

For example, he decides that crashing the scientist's van into his other self as his past self drives his car down the street on his way to tracking down his impostor self that is hanging out with his wife in their yard. He knows he has to crash into himself because he was in the car when he did it before, but from the other angle. He is the source of his own problems and it should be a confusing mess that doesn't make a lick of sense, but the way the story is told and how it unfolds to the viewer, helps us guide along on a logical path. Instead of us trying to figure out the time frame and by doing this be taken out of the story, the director has gently taken our hand and softly pushes us along as Hector comes to terms with what he must do and what has already been done to him.

What a crappy day and the worst part of it is that he did it to himself.

If you can believe it, Hector somehow is able to figure out a way to bring the story together and find some sort of peace after all that has been done to him by himself. His self inflicted journey comes to an end in a strangely peaceful manner and brings a closing to the story and a satisfying end to his miraculous time traveling journey. I won't give you the details, because it is something you have to experience for yourself much like the entire movie. I've left a great deal out of the story and there is so much in here that it truly deserves a second or even third viewing to take it all in. It really is an amazing little film with an epic concept packaged in an ingrained and engaging story.

Taking a much needed rest after a long and turbulent journey.

So do I recommend this film? You bet your damn ass I do! This is one unique movie that doesn't let its budgetary restraints hold it back. It reaches for the stars in its overall idea and nails all the right tones. The combination of horror, comedy, and science fiction is a delicate blend that makes the piece shine over other time traveling flicks. This is the first film that I've seen by Nacho Vigalondo and he's still early in his career, but I can't wait to see what extraordinary film he comes up with next. He is a director that is on my must see list and this film is one that should not be overlooked and passed by. You'd be doing yourself a disservice by not checking out this essential little time travel movie that's big on ideas and small on disappointments.

5 out of 5 stars        A modern day science fiction classic with a few twists