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Reviews
Clinic (2023)
A Thriller With a Modern Twist
Besides the preview of what is to come at the very beginning of the film, Clinic begins pretty vanilla but boy are you in for a ride. But I'm getting ahead of myself. The movie is based on Lisa, a young woman who moonlights as a stripper in order to take care of her son. She is conscious of how much more money her friends with bigger butts make and on the advice of a colleague, decides to seek out a Brazilian Butt Lift surgery. Little does she know that this decision is about to flip her entire life over and almost end it. But the film is more than just a thriller. It exposes toxic aspects of modern society such as body shaming, and the long-term psychological impact it can have on someone. This mix of societal reflection with an interesting story of a deranged surgeon really made the film worth the watch.
Lake Mungo (2008)
A Chilling But Great Horror Film
While there are a few issues that I took with the plot, the film is chilling enough that I had to Google whether or not it was based on real life events or on a true story. You can imagine my relief when I found that it is just a mockumentary.
For someone looking for a subtle horror for Friday night movie night or for a lazy Saturday evening, Lake Mungo is a very nice pick. It is not macabre or with explicit sexual scenes or violence (with the exception of one blurred out sexual scene) and is something the whole family can enjoy with some parental guidance if horror films is something you do with family.
Yesod (2022)
Great Sci-fi Film
There is no question that Yesod is not your regular film and this is very evident from the very first scene. The film tells its story in a cryptic manner, shrouded in some level of mystery, and is quite reminiscent of some of Christopher Nolan's early works.
Yesod is set in a post-apocalyptic world after solar radiation has wiped out nearly every human on the planet, though this is not very evident from the onset of the film. The only survivors are two humans, an unnamed male and female protagonist. Both live in seclusion protected from the harmful effects of the sun. However, trouble brews when they discover each other, and a battle for survival ensues for the rest of the film, with each one of the two struggling to better the other in their mutual quest to emerge as the sole surviving human.
At the very core of the film is a story of a love-hate relationship between two vastly different human specimens and in this aspect, the film succeeds. It manages to depict a constant conflict between the two protagonists, with occasional ceasefire as they struggle to understand each other, and co-exist after such a long time of living in adversity with the rest of the world. Besides the plotline, the film also excels in its cinematic value. Stunning camerawork, great editing to piece together the scenes and moving complementary soundtracks all work together to deliver a powerful short film that bests most other films in its category.
While an altogether great film, Yesod faults in its significant lack of context. As a first-time viewer, one is tossed deep into the plot, and is left to grapple with the vast information delivered in the short length of the film. The almost nonexistent dialog, while serving to create suspense, also contributes to this problem and limits how much information is directly conveyed to the viewer. They are left to their own means, to glean information from the vast labyrinth of the film and to figure out what is happening and the timeframe of the events of the film as they take place.
Yesod, which was written and directed by Nizar Nassar, is the product of the director's fruitful imagination and the joint effort by the entire film's crew. The austere quality of the release far outshines any minor issues with the film and makes it well deserving of your time.
Seven Lost (2021)
Definitely Worth Your While
One would think that the world has had enough World War II films to last a lifetime, or even till the end of time. That is until you watch "Seven Lost". Written and directed by Eduardo Castrillo, who also doubles as Leo in the film, the film retells the biggest war mankind has ever seen from a fresh perspective that leaves the viewer intrigued and asking for more.
Seven Lost is a journey for survival of seven soldiers who aptly grace its title. Starting in the middle of the 2nd World War, its lens focuses on seven American soldiers posted to Italy in the allied war campaign against the Axis powers. Tired, homesick and quickly running out of supplies, the soldiers are making their way to the nearest American base camp. However, their seemingly straightforward journey is immediately met by an Italian ambush, where they quickly lose several members of the troop. The members of the troop, soon devoid of leadership as their higher-ranking officers are soon mowed down by Italian guns, are left to trudge on in the hostile Italian landscape in their quest for escape, survival, and redemption.
In a stunning war thriller, Seven Lost blends the melancholy with the action-packed with such finesse that enthralls the viewer, ripping them from their gentle reality at the comfort of their homes and thrusts them into the horrific scenes of the war. Through the devastation, hunger and desperation, both the user and the soldiers march on in the unforgiving terrain, surviving encounter after encounter with ruthless gun-wielding Italian soldiers as they seek the solace that only home can provide.
A vichyssoise of emotion, and roller-coaster of sentiment, Eduardo Castrillo's film is not just a tale of bravery, courage, survival and good old-fashioned teamwork in the face of adversity. It is a narrative of resilience when division and self-preservation threaten to tear apart the platoon in a willful battle for survival, where only the strong remain.