ogilvieds

Despite a Giallo aesthetic that doesn't suit the premise or setting, a one-dimensional and incompetent protagonist who's inexplicably superhuman when the plot requires her to be, abrupt shifts in tone and pacing, ongoing jump scares that are always telegraphed by the score (with only one that garnered any response in the theatre: uproarious laughter), a predictable third act, unresolved plot points that masquerade as red herrings, and a pointless twist ending with no setup, Body and Brighton Rock is actually a very fascinating film: it provides scientific proof of the theory of time dilation. At a mere 87 minutes, it feels like it's four hours long.

I get the sense that the screenplay was little more than a shot list. This is unfortunate, because there's no denying that director Roxanne Benjamin is a competent filmmaker. She attempts to establish her own style by recycling tried-and-true horror tropes, and there's some good ideas here. But technical aptitude is not the same as meaningful storytelling. The film is incredibly thin and would have worked best as a 20min short.

Despite my one-star rating, I like to believe that Ghost House: A Haunting is the greatest Andy Kaufman prank ever pulled. Adler & Associates Entertainment should be praised for enabling this kind of groundbreaking cinema.

I happened upon White Calm while browsing through Amazon Prime and I was thoroughly impressed with what I found.

Though art films are usually dismissed as pretentious, White Calm tells an accessible and tragic story about a man who finds himself at a major turning point in his life. The scenes are shot and edited well, and the use of ambient sound instead of a score keeps the film grounded. There are no musical stings or blocks of expository dialog to tell us what to feel. Instead, White Calm uses visual storytelling effectively and sincerely.

I look forward to watching more of Lorenzo Bechi's films. Kudos!