numberone_1
Joined Aug 2000
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Not quite sure what I can add here that hasn't already been addressed, but I watched this on Amazon Prime recently after not having seen it for several years. The film is a showcase of Elizabeth Montgomery's breadth of talent, and she positively shines; this is a must-see for any of her fans. It seems to me that the film itself is degrading, and thus needs some kind of restoration to it. Nonetheless, the film as a stylized re-telling of the legend of Lizzie Borden is quite effective, offering an explanation as to how Lizzie might / could have committed the murders. Listen for the sinister intonation when Lizzie addresses her stepmother as "Abby" (only occurs once in the film). This is one of many nuances that Montgomery delivers that confirms my assessment of her performance as "beyond exemplary".
I have to state my biases up front that (a) I really enjoy the "found footage" genre and (b) I was a long-standing fan of "All My Children" and have always enjoyed seeing actors from that show in other roles and other projects. That said, I found this film to be incredible. There is a seemingly normal / natural start to the film (a graduate student documenting a lady with early- to mid-stage Alzheimer's Disease), but the descent from "natural" to "preternatural" to "supernatural" occurs relatively quickly with building taut suspense and effective jump scares throughout. The use of the camera is highly effective in pinpointing the characters' experiences unfolding at the same time as for the viewers, including precise and accompanying dialogue that to me would be very likely in such situations (e.g., trying to challenge / justify how they could be witnessing inexplicable events, how certain things "just aren't possible"). Jill Larson is absolutely outstanding in this unique leading role; Anne Ramsey is also outstanding, and her Sarah Logan character needs to be recorded as one of the best examples of a courageous antihero. Despite a couple of weak plot points (e.g., how we meet the sheriff, and the departure of one of the crew members), to me the film was well done, highly effective, and would likely be enjoyed by those who also like the "found-footage" genre.
One of the "buddy study" or male-bonding genre that follows the reunion and subsequent days of two childhood friends from Sicily, Antonio and Agostino, after 15 years of no contact / lost contact. Beginning in Sicily when the two characters were boys, the drama unfolds as the two regain contact. Agostino is a truck driver; Antonio's life path isn't easily specified by occupation. Rather, it is specified only briefly, identifying the places he has lived. The commonality among them is a drifting of sorts. The film examines their reunion as Antonio hitches a ride with Agostino on a delivery from Antwerp to Venice, at first uneasy, while we learn about the two boyhood friends and how they come back into each other's lives. We see them work through the unknowns of how / why their friendship stopped along the road to recovery. Great cinematography in the stunning physical geography, actual footage along the Autobahn, in truck stops, and a ferry terminal (among others), further enhanced by the outstanding and realist acting by the two male leads.