Change Your Image
lipstick_pixie
Reviews
Rez Bomb (2008)
Fantastic piece of independent cinema
Fantastic film set in one of the poorest places of the US. A thriller, a love story, a dark comedy at times, Rez Bomb is one of the best pieces of independent cinema I've seen recently. Harmony, a Lakota girl and her white boyfriend Scott find a plan to make a quick buck and escape the reservation's grim life. They get more than they bargained for when they get in trouble with a loan shark who shows an unhealthy interest in Harmony. One of Simpson's strengths is his character development and brilliant dialogue, and Rez Bomb doesn't disappoint. And this time, his cinematography is simply breath-taking. It feels as if the director is very familiar with Pine Ridge and this knowledge shows on his choice of locations.
The film features Trent Ford, Tamara Feldman and AIM activist Russell Means, as well as many local American Indian actors. Want to see what life in a reservation is really like? It doesn't get much closer than this. The director offers an accurate portrait of the racism, discrimination and poverty that Lakotas experience on a daily basis, but also gives us a tale of hope, love and survival.
Retribution (2005)
Mean good guys, and cool bad guys!
The first time I watched this film was mind blowing. I had already seen the prequel and I thought it was really fresh, different and exciting, then I had access to Retribution and I loved the director's work even more. The film has so many elements that make it interesting: suspense, drama, action and really cool bad guys. The introduction of the new characters is fantastic, the old characters from its prequel are even meaner. Advice: watch The Ticking Man first! You'll come to love Barry.
I can't be extremely explanatory without spoiling the plot, and as I said I strongly recommend to watch The Ticking Man first. If you haven't seen it stop reading now! For those of you who have already seen it, if you liked the lovely crooks Barry and Ian you'll get to see much more of them in Retribution. Marianne and Peter are back, and again in danger. Stylistically, the beautiful tunnel sequence is revisited. Retribution might not be as visually different as the prequel, but in terms of the narrative, it gets better and better. Enjoy!... and make sure you don't get into any dark alleys.