Big Bad Wolves

Though Quentin Tarantino might have been exaggerating the movie a bit by calling it the best movie of 2013, it would probably land somewhere in the top 15. The movie has both violence & gore, but what really hits home is the psychological terror and the mystery of the identity of the killer. The slow details of the murder cases really clash with the motives of those involved and really makes you take a side with who you think is right and wrong. Though the movie doesn't reinvent the serial killer genre, but it does stand tall with its amazing cinematography and black humor. One of the better torture porns of recent memory (though not terribly graphic). Its on Netflix and certainly worth a watch!

Full Review at: http://www.simplefilmreviews.com/2014/05/big-bad-wolves-2013.html

Quentin Tarantino called this the best movie of the year, and it is definitely one of the top ten. A school teacher is suspected of abducting, killing, and beheading little girls. What follows is a mixture of brutal torture blended with a sardonic humor you would expect from either the Coen brothers or Tarantino. Top notch acting is combined with a script which keeps the viewer wondering whether or not the accused is a monster or a victim. Be forewarned that a hammer, pliers, and blow torch are used as tools of coercion on the alleged pedophile; so a strong stomach is required to survive this film. Also, it is in Hebrew, so be prepared to read many subtitles throughout the one hour and fifty minute running time. Big Bad Wolves is well worth the journey.

BBW deserves a 7 out of 10 and I would have rated it higher if the screen writer would have made a somewhat greater effort to avoid what I considered a disappointing ending to the film that just came out flat. There is some very good acting between the three main characters as well as by the supporting cast. Continual suspense is maintained and the film is sprinkled throughout with a bit of dark humour to allow the audience not to take the film too seriously.

The film does not rely on extensive blood and gore neither by the serial killer Dror, or by his own captors and tormentors, Gidi and Micki. I was quite impressed with how the suspense was maintained all the way through the film as well as a few slick twists and turns such as when Gidi's father arrives at the cottage and discovers what his son Gidi has been up to.

The trick I believe to delivering a great film is to have the audience feeling good about how the film ends such that we would like to see a sequel, or leaving us with the desire to view the film a second time. In this case, I found the films closing scenes were a big let down mainly because the rest of the film was so suspenseful and entertaining. Upon leaving the film what a screen writer really does not want to hear is the audience saying "well that was a dumb ending wasn't it?"

This is a high rising film which came up flat at the end. I rated the film a 7 out of 10.

Embittered over his preteen daughter's rape and murder, an intelligence officer kidnaps the chief suspect and sets about torturing him with the assistance of a former detective in this gripping Israeli thriller. From the premise alone, 'Big Bad Wolves' might sound like a sadistic 'torture porn' movie, however, the focus of the film is the torturers themselves and their unflinching certainty that they have the right man despite his ongoing protests of innocence and the severe lack of evidence against him. Have the torturers let their emotions overcome them and get in the way of sound judgment, or could they actually be right? It is an interesting central dynamic, however, the film would have benefited from greater ambiguity. It is made so abundantly clear that the torture victim is innocent that we are constantly on his side throughout and never really on the side of the intelligent officer and detective. The initially shocking ending also makes less and less sense the more one thinks about it and the comedy angle often awkwardly subtracts from the grimness of the tale. That said, there are admittedly some genuine laughs in the mix. The film is enticing the whole way too; certain scenes are so brutal that they are hard to watch, but there is a welcome intensity in the air with the lingering questions of just how far the torturers will go and just how much suffering their victim will undergo before he confesses (regardless of actual guilt) as the pain becomes too much. The acting is top notch, especially from Doval'e Glickman, and the sets and music are appropriately ominous.

Always a pleasure reviewing an Israeli film, especially one that can be considered as an attempt to qualify for the "horror" genre as has been defined by Hollywood for around two decades now. While avoiding any criticism towards the genre as it is known today, I can sincerely say I'm proud to have another Israeli film so well known, and being a devout Horror - that I'm very glad Israel has joined the list of countries making worthy Horror films.

Now for the film itself... I can't help but feeling disappointed, for a number of reasons: 1. The first reason would probably be irrelevant for anyone not familiar with Israel's film industry, and yet I must point out that using Lior Ashkenazi (a famous excellent actor) for the character of an irresponsible uneducated stereotypical Israeli police officer simply didn't feel right. Ashkenazi is as charismatic as he is talented, and his screen presence is undeniable. Seeing him making the stupid mistakes forced upon him by the script was almost painful.

2. Immediately relating to the previous reason, the film used one of the horrible "cheats" that have become the bane and doom of many Horror films, Slasher/Serial Killer films in particular. Due to my oath to avoid spoilers, I am unable to describe the cheat, but suffice to say you'll know it when you see it. It joins the infamous list of killer being faster then a sprinting victim, a car running out of gas / car keys falling due to stress and fear / cellphone having no signal and such unreasonable annoying causes of death, making the audience join hands together in an epic group face palm.

3. Like many other Israeli films, this one has been stained by the puzzling need to make a socio-political statement. Be it regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or the gender discrimination problem (both described thoroughly in Israeli websites dealing with cinema reviews) - I personally find these to be redundant and plain stupid. This is a professional Horror film, not one about women's rights and equality or the contemporary political state. It has no room for such things, which do very little at most to serve the plot or the message (at least what the message should be).

4. While falling into line with Hollywood is good for the Israeli cinema's status, it made the film lose the "Israeli" uniqueness the fans have seen and loved for decades. The comic bits do little to return it. Israel's cinema is known for having its own rules and goals, and the past decade or so has brought us very little films still loyal to this tradition.

However, I still find some very glowing spots of light in the film, making it very worthwhile and recommended. The acting by the trio of main characters is absolutely exquisite. Each plays his role beautifully. I was especially impressed with Tzahi Grad as the mourning father and Rotem Keinan as the prime suspect. Whether it's the tone of voice, or the body language, or the looks on their faces in each scene - the acting is by far the best aspect of the film. The story, on the other hand, lacked, and lacked much. The effect of similar plots like Saw and The Tortured and such is way too obvious. That wouldn't have taken anything away from the story, had it been in anyway at all original, which it simply isn't. I personally couldn't guess the ending, but only due to too much credit given to the writers. I honestly have never expected them to use such a banal anticlimactic closure-less catharsis lacking ending.

All in all, I can't say I didn't enjoy the film. The suspense is nerve- wrecking and the acting is, as mentioned, profound. Therefore, regardless to the relatively low rate I've given it, I urge you to give it a chance. No, it won't be the best film you'll have seen this year, not even the best horror film, probably not even the best Israeli film. Yet it remains a film worth watching, showing Israel's progress towards the cinematic conventions of the 21st century.