Review Roundup

Here are a few indies I recently viewed that I think are worthy of your attention...

The Red Violin

This came out several years ago, but I just now got around to watching it and i glad I waited, cause it recently began showing on HDNet Movies, and it is a breathtaking piece of cinema. Directed by Francois Girard, The Red Violin follows it's journey through three centuries of war, personal turmoil, and revolutions. The stories are all centered around it's auction in present day Montreal after being found in China. The famous Nicolo Bussotti violin, known as "the red violin," is being auctioned off. During the auction, we flash back to the creation of the violin in 17th century Italy, and follow the violin as it makes its way through an 18th century Austrian monastery, a violinist in 19th century Oxford, China during the Cultural Revolution, and back to Montreal, where a collector tries to establish the identity and the secrets of "the red violin."

All of the stories are interesting and are great showcases for actors such as Carlo Cecchi, Jason Flemyng, Greta Scachi, Sam L. Jackson, and Sylvia Chang to name a few. The imagery and camera work is first class. This is a classically made film for those with classic tastes. If it at the end your not freaking out over where the violin might end up, then you are not alive. screenwriter, Don McKellar and Girard do an amazing job setting up the violin as a character itself. You start to care more for the violin than you do for the characters that own it! Great film.

Look



Just for the record I am not a big fan of cult director Adam Rifkin. But that might change after this film. This film is very original in its execution. The movie sets itself up in the wrong way by saying that Americans are captured on surveillance cameras at least 170 times a day mostly without their knowledge. This produces millions of hours of footage revealing the nature of those hidden secrets.

Well true, but this movie is not real footage, it's a scripted movie that was made to look like it was shot with security cams. Once you get over that and let the movie take you, its a lot of fun. And stick with it, cause it gets better the more you get into it, and it does get a creepy vibe towards the end. The very end makes you a bit mad, due to one of the characters getting away with a really horrible crime.Overall I had a really great time with this movie. It was original and pushed the bounds of creativity. Something original in a sea of studio xeroxes is quite nice to behold once in a while.