Sanctuary

Nice actor showcase film. Both performed well, with Margaret showcasing her depth as a "screen takeover" actor. A rare thing to be seen. She fully dominates the role (both literally and figuratively).

It's an up and down ride of domination and submission, game or no game. Freedom or going with the narratives you're assigned in life.

It's also a love story of sorts, maybe not the healthiest, but that's how it goes sometimes in life. The acting really saves the issues with the overall dynamic and plot I had, and some unbearable scenes (the music/yelling scene I had to mute).

Overall it's a claustrophobic actor showcase film with only 2 characters. I found it engaging and packed with tension and great acting. 6.8/10.

During its first hour, i thought it was watchable but definitely not recommendable. I was not convinced about what i was watching. Didn't make much sense. Even acting seemed weird to me. I kept watching it because i found it somewhat interesting.

However, the last 30 minutes were so good that made me realise i had underestimated it. The ending is so good that made the whole movie looks good, retrospectively. Everything now was making sense. Even acting. And i loved the last minute.

Sure it is not the most realistic movie of the world and i couldn't understand well these characters. Their tastes and preferences were too bizarre for me. I don't understand them but i like them. It's important though to understand what exactly is going on here. Some viewers might not get it. It's necessary to listen carefully to what these characters say in the end. It's not that confusing but it demands your attention.

It's not a great movie, not exciting neither ground breaking. So, if you want to watch a good "one location" movie, something like a mixture of dark comedy and psychological drama thriller, you will probably enjoy it. I enjoyed it for sure.

When is a game not a game? When it's real life? Is real life though, not a game? Aren't we all playing games all of the time in some way or another? Games, roles, responding to the situation, never quite sure what's real or not.

How much of this film was a game? Was their game, just part of a larger game? Is play the only way to be who you really are? Assuming a role to be the person you want to be and having another along for the journey?

In the early stages of the film I wondered why they cast Margret Qualley. She's pretty, and a very good actor, but this role is beneath her and she's not especially sexy, so she can't pull off the role of the dominatrix properly. Then it dawned on me: she wasn't playing a dominatrix, she was playing his girlfriend, playing a dominatrix.

There were some truths in there, not all of which we will ever know, as the interplay between role and reality was clever and vague, but we can guess at many them and still come to the same end conclusion.

I look forward to watching this again in the future and seeing if I can work any more of it out.

I feel like I harp on this point too often, but 'Sanctuary' is another prime example of a film doing so much with so little. You could make this film with next to no budget, and simply with a terrific script and great performances you have a film that is infinitely more compelling than your average $250 million blockbuster. This was a good one.

To stretch a concept this seemingly simple out over 95 minutes without it becoming stale is a hell of an effort. There were a couple of times where I thought the film was losing steam, but then a new angle would come up and it was like the film was starting fresh again. Even when the film ended I would've happily watched another 30-40 minutes of this story.

I love the air of mystery surrounding the events in the film. I really had no idea where it was headed. In fact I had a theory but that turned out to be aggressively wrong. This was a very well crafted film. 9/10.

While it is not a perfect film, Sanctuary does win points for it's creativity and craft. The story is handled with care, although it is a bit bloated. However, this allows the viewers the full view of the situation, something that I appreciated. It really doesn't skimp on the details.

The two leads are fantastic in their respective roles and manage to be the only actors on screen for the entire runtime, which is a feat I certainly applaude. Not many actors or actresses can pull that off without the audience feeling exhausted by their performance, especially with having to do such long takes as well. Very impressive.

Speaking of long takes, I really enjoyed the cinematography. The sweeping camera motions, and the way the moods are captured throughout are subdued just enough to not overshadow the narrative, but are wild enough for a slick presentation.

Coming to the ending, it was a bit predictable. But there's something about such a sweet ending that made me feel like these two deserved it. For all the mind games and the fighting, it felt like the right place, right time, even if it was a bit too convenient for this particular story. Any more would have felt like too much.

Overall, I recommend it. It has a few downfalls, but they are easily overlooked by the simple but charming story of a dominatrix and a rich kid falling in love through blackmail and vitriol.

3.5 secret videos out of 5.