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The Bad Batch (2016)
A fascinating look at human nature. A sleeper, to be sure!
It's so difficult to find a truly unique film that surprises you. I don't own a television, so seeing movie promos for upcoming films is rare for me. Only by Googling sci-fi films did I stumble upon this one in someone's movie list. I'm so happy that I did! All I saw was that it was a futuristic film with cannibals in it...that was all I needed to see!
I absolutely love to be surprised! And this one is a treasure! Each character was played wonderfully. I had no issue suspending disbelief. This must have been a project for the love it. I'm guessing by Keanu's work, these non mainstream shows are a passion for him, much like A Scanner Darkly. I loved that one, as well.
I had no idea who would be in it and am always thrilled to see such phenomenal actors take on obscure roles. The Hermit's teeth were truly nasty! Well done on the costumes and effects. If you go through the movie and know that there's something familiar about a particular character but you just can't pinpoint it...that means the actor is doing a brilliant job...because you have no idea that it was someone notable until the credits roll. Jim Carrey was great!
Giovanni Ribisi, though recognizable, did a great job being the local crackpot. Not a huge role, but he did it very well. Again, I think this was a project that they must have done for the love of it.
I'll be looking at Ana Lily Amirpour's work more now. The story was fantastic. Granted, I would liked to have known a bit more back story, but that's what my imagination is for. The best films keep you thinking.
I like Jason Momoa, as well. Seeing his softer expressions, like when he admitted he was lost, was tender and amazing. I don't go for the burly man dripping in muscle, but it suits him. It actually makes the vulnerability that he shows even more beautiful.
Suki Waterhouse did a fine job in her role. Though I would liked to have seen a bit more variety in her emotions, however, her character would have to be tough to survive. You don't survive if you are weak. But still, a little more from her would have been nice, especially during the removal of limbs.
The music choices were hysterical. The enormous muscle man on the scooter in search of his daughter, priceless! The matter of fact attitude they had to eating people as a means to survive, was interesting. It makes one think of what it, indeed, is like in that situation. It has happened in reality, it may happen again, who knows. Overall, a magnificent piece of work from everyone involved. This must have been a fun show to work on.
Paradox (2016)
Barely tolerable
I've seen worse. Let's start with the music. Very soap opera reminiscent and a tad too loud. The lighting seemed fine, but the sound was odd. During the scenes where the actors were speaking in a normal volume, it was good. During the scenes where the characters were in a panic (and the actors were way over the top), the sound was somehow...hollow. I can't explain it. It was almost as if they knew the sound quality wasn't great, so they bumped up the volume on the music.
The premise, of course, is always fun. You could spend hours pondering the time travel paradox through your mind to no avail. The screenplay itself wasn't bad. I can only assume that the direction given the actors was to be intentionally over the top. Less is more in film, they know that. These are experienced actors. Was Michael Hurst simply catering to the B film fans?
Then again, Michael Hurst is providing work to actors that need to keep working. He's also likely having fun shooting, making a little money and building his own resume. I love Scifi...quality Scifi. If you enjoyed Ex Machina, Europa Report, Predestination, Snowpiercer, Automata, et cetera, then you will not find this to be worth your time. It could have been quite good had they slowed down and allowed for quality acting to come through. It felt like they rushed through to save money and were quite satisfied with just another B movie. It's a shame.