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Pegase (2010)
Lynchian,,,A Great Movie On Many Levels
Multilayered psychological mystery/thriller with strong overtones of horror and neo-noir and even the Gothic.
Beautifully filmed, scored and written to reach the viewer on both conscious and subconscious levels. The strangeness of the culture may put off American viewers but if they give it a chance it has all the things that haunt and traumatize us as on the human level: forbidden love, war, rape, incest, gender conflict, misogyny on the level that always women to be treated as abject and objectified to fit what a patriarchal culture needs to maintain power. The film definitely has an agenda, but it never overpowers the narrative.
Think David Lynch ( Mulholland Drive, Inland Empire, Blue Velvet) in an Eastern setting and you may find it easier to relax and enjoy the ride.
You don't have to be familiar with Freud or Jung for the archetype mythology and symbolism to disturb you. The script is more poetic than the typical dialogue of most films, but it becomes more like a beating drum or the building musical themes of the thriller and horror films that American audiences are more familiar with...and at times the subtitles don't even need to be read, but the words only heard-they are more atmospheric than a narrative driver.
Darkroom (2008)
INTERESTING AND REWARDING-Alternative To The Ubiquitous Shallow-Plot, Effects And Star Driven Films Of Hollywood
The film is so strong, interesting and visually mesmerizing in so many ways that I am willing to forgive the flaws. It would be a shame to skip seeing this because of this imbalance. David H. Stevens, Andrea Lockhart, Sila Agavale put in strong performances. The script is stilted at times, but given the nonlinear/ vignette format/ unreliable narrator components make the interesting character development all the amazing.
This film is a VISUAL FEAST. Cinematography is unique, interesting and is worth watching the film on its own merit. The sets are sparse, but are almost another 'personality' in the film.
I think if the viewer goes in with an open mind and just let the movie 'take them for a ride' and don't let themselves get distracted trying to define and pigeonhole what they are watching it is a great experience. It becomes the kind of movie you want to keep going back to because it is multi-layered and one discovers that the characters are realistic.
David is not crazy schizoid but a regular guy dealing with life in a NOT SO UNCOMMON way if you think about it--to say more than that would be a 'spoiler' People are complex and writer/director, Joshua Tai Taeoalii, takes this and tries to creatively capture the essence of a what lies beneath the often banal surface of our very human existence.