Come Closer (2024) Tribeca 2024

This is the story of a young woman named Eden. When her brother is killed in a car crash she spirals off. Realizing her brother had a whole other life which she knew nothing about she begins investigating and begins a relationship with his brothers girlfriend.

This film really didn't work for me. Blame it on Eden, a character who is either badly acted or badly written, or both. The problem begins before the accident where we see Eden smothering her brother as if he was a needy lover rather than his sister.  Its the wrong sort of creepy. Watching her spiral out after that distances us as she doesn't seem anything other than nut. What makes it worse is the performance is so ungrounded that the character seems like she is in another film entirely. That isn't a bad analogy- this is a film where everyone except Eden is in another film entirely.

I was disappointed

The Damned (2024) Tribeca 2024

At a remote fishing station in the northern oceans, a small community is struggling to survive. It is lead by a woman named Eva. She is a recent widow and he feelings are compounded by the uncertainty of the future of the people she is living with. When a ship wrecks not far off, they are forced to consider how to handle the situation since extra mouths mean they certainly will not survive. What follow their choice is the film and it's a tense spiral into danger.

Let me say this at the top - when you see THE DAMNED, and you will be seeing it,  try to do so when you can see it on a big screen. Shot in bleak and menacing places the film is a wide screen delight with the images adding equal weight to everything that happens. The images were made for the big screen and should be seen that way.

This is one of the bet films playing at Tribeca. It's an unexpected historical thriller full of suspense and dread. You know with a title like THE DAMNED this is not going to go well, and it doesn't. The fear comes from waiting to see who comes out the other end.

I had a blast watching this film. I was sucked in from the first frame and stayed glued to the screen until the credits rolled. I didn't really have any idea how this was going to go. 

This is  just great filmmaking. Yes it looks amazing, but at the same time the entire cast sells it, while at the same time director Thordur Palsson moves things along at just the right pace. Its slow enough so that we feel we are back 150 years, but spryly enough that we never lose interest. Indeed we are held in the film's vice grip as we wait to get to the film's end.

Since the film is just premiering I won't say any more other than get a ticket and go.

Shut Up Jack (2024) Tribeca 2024

New hire jack goes to a company party and makes a fool of himself when a joke bombs spectacularly. This sparks his various sides of himself to battle it out inside him  about how to rectify the situation.

This is a nice revisit of a well loved  cinema trope of a persons internal battle (think Pixar’s INSIDE). Short and sweet, it hits all the right notes so that we don’t care that this  is similar to other passes.

That I loved was the integration of the various Jacks into the film. I don’t think the big Hollywood takes on multiple version of an actor ever this good.

This is a one you’ll enjoy when you see it at Tribeca.

Austin Belzer's Interview with I Need Your Love Creators Walker Kalan and Camille Trust

SOME KIND OF PARADISE (2024) Tribeca 2024

A cowboy barman ponders if an isolated life is worth it when he connects with an actor.

This is a sweet little drama that needs to be expanded.  While there is no doubt that everything we need to enjoy the film is here, the lives of everyone on the screen bleeds off the screen and into our own.

This is a wonderful gem of a film that soars thanks to it's cast selling every moment and the filmmakers not making a film but instead putting a slice of life on screen. 

Recommended

Checkpoint Zoo (2024) Tribeca 2024

CHECKPOINT ZOO is the story of the Feldman Ecopark which is just outside of Kharkiv, Ukraine. Being outside of one of the targets for Russian forces invading the country mean that the parks 5,000 animals were in the direct line of Russian bombing.  As most of the 1000 employees of the park ran to safety a small contingent returned to work to try and keep the animals safe.

Easily one of the best and most moving films at this year's Tribeca, CHECKPOINT ZOO is a film you need to see sooner than later. Even if you don't like animals the tale of how a few people fought and died to keep these animal safe will fill you with awe. Its the story of how people made do with nothing to make sure that everyone and everything was as safe as possible.

Twenty minutes into the film all I could think about was telling everyone I know about this film. This was a film that people need to see.

What moved me about the film was it is telling a story of war we never hear. Yes we hear about what happens to the people but what happened to the animals?  Its a story no one ever really talks about until well after the fact. A blood brother to last year's film SEARCHING FOR NIKA which followed the filmmaker as he tried to find his parents' lost dog among the shelling and ended up rescuing dozens of pets and other animals he met along the way, CHECKPOINT ZOO reminds us that there are  still good people out there. It more importantly reminds us that we have a responsibility to the creatures we choose to keep, especially when they have been brought far from their natural home.

This film will amaze you from the first frame to the last. It will also move you to tears as you are forced to contend with a side of war that most people never consider.

Highly recommended, this is just a film that you will want to see repeatedly.

MADE IN ETHIOPIA (2024) Tribeca 2024

I look at the Chinese run Eastern Industrial Park in Ethiopia as it attempts to start to build it's second phase. The park attracted thousands of people to the factories situated there, However as stage two begins complications arise as prices rise, people who were promised compensation grumble and life has other plans. 

Focusing on several people, a Chinese Desuty director in the park, two women working in the factories and their families and a government official, the film gives us good over view of the complicated situation. The way things go isn't really happy for anyone with one of the women remarking late n the film that they no longer dream but simply go where life takes them. It's a sad moment that breaks our hearts.

This is a film you have to belt in and go with. I initially, and wrongly, thought that this was was going to be a rah rah film about Chinese coming in and doing wonderful things. It seemed that way because at the start the film shows us how "great" things are thanks to Deputy Director Motto's enthusiasm.  That slowly turns into something less happy, there are troubles all around, all of them unforeseen.

This is a great film. In an age where we are told about Chinese investment in Africa, this film shows us what that entails on some level. We see the good and the bad of it, and of corporate control in general. Its a film that beautifully tells it's story  opening our eyes and making us wonder what is going to happen next. Yes, the film ends but the story isn't over which keeps us thinking.

Recommended.

Lost Bois (2024) Tribeca 2024

Devyn Galindo's  experimental documentary is an afternoon and evening with Samp, Gian and Moose, three transmasc New York City natives

This three minute and twenty second film is simply not long enough. I mean that in both a good way and a bad way. It's bad because there isn't enough here for the film to amount to much. We get two moments in in time- in a bed room and on a roof top. It's such a short time that if we blink things are over and we don't have any sense  of much of anything.

Watching the film blind (I do not really look at how long shorts are nor do I read anything about them until after they are done) I thought I was sent the films trailer.

The problem is that if you just see the film with out explanation it just hangs there-and then it ends.

On the other hand there is enough here that director Galindo wanted to expand this into either a longer short or a feature this would go a long way to proving the film will work. I for one want to see more with Samp Gian and Moose. We see and hear enough that we can tell there  more to hear and see. I would love to see more given the chance.

And I would like to see what Galindo does next.

Reservations aside, this is worth a look.

Makayla's Voice: A Letter to the World (2024) Tribeca 2024

This is a repost of my Slamdance review

Makayla is the daughter of Grammy-award winning producer Needlz and business owner mother, Mañana. She has a form of non-verbal autism. When she is given a letter card her world opens up and the thoughtful person locked inside her body is revealed for the first time.

This is a lovely trip through the mind of a lovely young lady with lots of wonderful thought. Structured  so that we hear Makayla over passages with her, we also get to spend time with her friends and family who explain her journey from their point of view.

This is a film that is going to make you smile.

Recommended

Tribeca Coverage Notes:

With Tribeca’s coverage starting in three hours  with a repost of a Slamdance review, Here are the rules of our coverage:

1-There will be a review  at least every three hours at Unseen Films for the length of the festival. 

2-Because I am leaving the house at 6am and turning in the evening links will be on Twitter and Blue Sky either before I leave in the morning or when I get home. I am not going near social media while at the festival. (or my email)

3-With the exception of some Annecy Titles (some are fantastic) and some Sheffield Doc Fest titles the better part of the next two weeks is all Tribeca

4-Front loaded reviews drop as close to the embargo as possible . Anything I see from today on goes where I can fit it in the order I can put it.

5- Any pieces from Ariela, Wendy, Liz or Austin will drop when get them and I can put them up

6- expect a mix of reviews, daily reports, pictures and interviews.

7-Anything beyond that is being made up on the fly

Tribeca has started - Reviews are coming soon

Because Tribeca started last night with the opening night film (which I haven't seen yet) and the waves of public screenings won't start until this afternoon, reviews won't start dropping until the embargoes do- so check back late this afternoon at 3pm when the coverage will start in earnest with a reposted review from Slamdance. After that there will be reviews and good stuff at least every three hours until the end of the festival.

I will be at the festival and in screenings so don't expect reports on twitter and BlueSky until I get home each night.

She's Clean (2024) is available today to rent

A woman takes a shower with all her lovers revealing how she feels about them, how they about her, and many things about the relationship with lovers.

I'm not going to do a full on review of this film for a one key reason, the film didn't connect to me. Before you think that means it's a bad film, it does not. Rather it simply means that the film is not within my experience to fully write on. While I've been in two long term relationships and my wiring is such that I have not really dated a great deal. My wiring is not normal in that I just don't have relationships for the hell of it, I'm looking for something else.  My focus is differently placed on something other than a relationship. Looking at multiple relationships is outside my wheelhouse.

That said there is some great truths here as well as a great performance from writer director Jenn Harris.

If you want a solid discussion of relationships and sex SHE'S CLEAN is recommended.

JAPANESE FILM FESTIVAL ONLINE 2024 runs June 5 noon - July 3 noon, 2024 (JST)

If you love Japanese films or Japanese culture and you live pretty much anywhere in the world you have a chance to access, FOR FREE, some great Japanese film via The Japanese Film Festival On Line. It's a stunning group of films that you need to spend time and go through- you have a month to do so.

Trust me I know this is a great selection of films because I  have seen six of them. 

SINGLE 8
BABY ASSASSINS (not available in the US)
FATHER OF THE MILKY WAY RAILWAY
I AM WHAT I AM
KIBA THE FANGS OF FICTION

And as for KIMBA, this Ozamu Tesuka gem along with ASTRO BOY, which isn't screening, are hard wired into my being because I was watching it as a kid. It was is a glorious bit of animation from which so much we hold dear today sprung.

I'm not going to really wax poetic about the festival because I'm too occupied with the Tribeca Film Festival. I have had to grab a few minutes from writing on that festival in order to write about this one.  Additionally you don't need me to tell you what to watch the films are free and there is a month to watch them. So pick some titles and watch.

For more information (particularly if you are in a place where the films can be accessed) and to get access to the films go here.

Enea (2023) Open Roads 2024

Love it or hate it film follows thirty-ish Enea, the son of a rich TV presenter who wanders through an empty and dull life that only the idle rich can afford.

This is possibly the weakest film I’ve run across in the decade plus that I’ve been covering Lincoln Center’s Open Roads. While not bad, the film is kind of just sort of there and just interesting enough to make us want to see where it goes, even though the film really doesn’t have a point. Sure it’s trying to do something that Fellini did in the 60’s and 70’s, that Paolo Sorrentino did with GREAT BEAUTY a decade ago and numerous others did  in between, unfortunately it really doesn’t have anything to say that we haven’t heard before. Sure this film is better than some past Open Roads films, but at the same time I don’t think I’ve run across a film that has had so much nothing to say. It is as empty as all of the conversations of all of the characters on screen.

I was disappointed.

At the same time the film is well made and well acted enough that you might find something to connect to.

As for me, I had better things to do.

The VICA FINE ARTS FILM FEST Starts June 8 in LA, the UK, Estonia and on Vimeo

The Fine Arts Film Festival, with 45 films on/about art from 19 countries, returns for it's 11th year, on June 8 in Los Angeles, June 8-9 in the UK, and June 10-11 in Estonia, and online on Vimeo from June 8-21.

The Venice Institute of Contemporary Art (ViCA) is proud to present the 11th Annual Fine Arts Film Festival (FAFF), this Saturday June 8 in person at Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center in Venice, and at the Kose Gymnasium in Kobe, Estonia June 10-11. From June 8-21, FAFF will stream all over the world on Vimeo. FAFF – the world’s largest art film festival – will present over 40 films from across the globe.

A few examples of the exceptional lineup are feature documentaries Vermeer: The Greatest Exhibition from director David Bickerstaff (UK), with new discoveries about his process, and Guercino - An Art Love Story by director Giulia Giapponesi (Italy), a story about a one of the greatest artist who has almost been lost to history. Standout shorts include In the Head of Guy Limone from Jean-Marc Gosse (France), Sack Race with Knives: The Curious Art of Kevin Titzer directed by Jordan Barclay (US) and Faces of Silence by director Vicente Bordeu Barros (Chile). Engaging non-documentary shorts include MATHAF directed by Justin Kramer (Qatar), and the truly unique Beyond the Off-Screen from director Axel Robin (Canada).

Sofia Fellino, our Programming Director says, "It's been so exciting to see so many quality films from all over the world, and such a wonderful challenge to select from so many wonderful entries. We know you'll love this year's lineup!"

FAFF 2024 In-Person Schedule in LA:

10:30    AWARDS SHOW

10:30    Sea of Change (Out of Competition)

Director: Osceola Refetoff (US)

Experimental, 8 minutes

8:50    Bromley: Light After Dark

Director: Sean Patrick McDonald (Australia)

Feature Documentary, 94 minutes

8:35    Dimension of Absence

Director: Sjors Swierstra (Netherlands)\

Short Documentary, 16 minutes

8:30    A Public Thing

Director: Lauren Mahoney (US)

Short Documentary, 6 minutes

8:05    Sack Race With Knives: The Curious Art of Kevin Titzer

Director: Jordan Barclay (US)

Short Documentary, 25 minutes

7:55    In the Head of Guy Limone

Director: Jean-Marc Gosse (France)

Short Documentary, 7 minutes

7:35    Faces of Silence

Director: Vicente Bordeu Barros (Chile)

Short Documentary, 22 minutes

7:25    Take Care

Director: Kaylee Hatfield (US)

Animated Film, 9 minutes

7:20    Strokes

Director: David Colin William Crump (UK)

Student Film, 5 minutes

5:45    Vermeer: The Greatest Exhibition

Director: David Bickerstaff (UK)

Feature Documentary, 93 minutes

5:30    Stratis

Director: Antonis Maros (Greece)

Experimental Film, 11 minutes

4:25    Guercino: An Art Love Story

Director: Giulia Giapponesi (Italy)

Feature Documentary, 63 minutes

4:15    Beyond the Off Screen

Director: Axel Robin (Canada)

Music/Performance Video, 10 minutes

2:35    Out of the Picture

Director: Mary Louise Schumacher (UK)

Feature Documentary, 98 minutes

2:20    Weree

Director: Tal Amiran (UK)

Short Documentary, 15 minutes

1:30    The Heart of Heritage

Director: Nina Degraeve (Belgium)

Short Documentary, 48 minutes

12:00    Arte Povera, Notes For History

PM        Director: Andrea Bettinetti (Italy)

Feature Documentary, 88 minutes

11:55    Agaricus Pop!

Director: Jordyn Vignaux (US)

Animated Film, 4 minutes

11:50    Amaranth

Director: Justin Black (Canada)

Experimental Film, 4 minutes

11:30    Mathaf

AM       Director: Justin Kramer (Qatar)

Music/Performance Video, 20 minutes

 

 

Ticketing information is available on the ViCA website. Tickets for the in-person event in LA are available at the box office at Beyond Baroque for $10. The entire online festival $15. 

The festival is dedicated to presenting the finest new films about how art is made, how artists survive, how they think and work, and what makes creativity our most important skill, and our best hope for mankind.

Official Selections of FAFF 2024 will be offered a distribution deal through the ViCAFilms/Eagle Rock Pictures partnership, which has resulted in the Art/World Collection, viewable now on Vimeo. Over the past 4 years, films have been licensed to some of the most popular national streamers, including Tubi and Roku.

"It's hard to believe we're in our 11th year at FAFF", says Juri Koll, founder of the Festival. "We've worked hard to bring the best films from around the art world to Los Angeles, and now to the rest of the world online. It never ceases to amaze us, the love and respect these filmmakers have for their subjects, and it shows in every frame."

Sponsors past and present include Blick Art Materials, Beyond Baroque, 4 Brothers Wine Co., Flake, the Estonian American Business Alliance, and many others.

About ViCA

The Venice Institute of Contemporary Art (ViCA) is devoted to presenting and sustaining the unique stories, history and culture of one of the most important centers of independent artistic expression. Through its exhibitions, events, research facilities, and education curriculum, ViCA celebrates the world of art internationally, and the art and culture of Venice Beach/Southern California. Our founding in 2011 marks an ongoing commitment to our community - to present the art world from the perspective of its artists, writers, curators, collectors, and the art viewing public.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

#FAFF2024

Facebook:

@fineartsfilmfestival

@veniceICA

Instagram:

@veniceica

@fineartsfilmfestival

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (1998)

Vincent D'Onofrio and Edward James Olmos square off in a cracking good TV version of a New York subway hijacked for cash.

Fast moving telling of the tale is much better than expected thanks to a largely winning cast (only Lorraine Bracco seems weak) who put over the seriousness of the situation. Add to that the filmmakers choices to up date the story via motion sensors and to keep the film a gritty attitude you end up with a remake that is just as compelling as the original. (The film also gender flips two characters which actually adds to the tension if you are very familiar with the 1970's original)

If the film as any problems its in the fact it was shot for American TV which means that the film has limits as to the violence and language used. There are a couple of moments when the film can be felt to be pulling back from crossing a TV line.

Highly recommended- especially if you can see it without commercials

The Contractually Obligated Tribeca 2024 Curtain Raiser Or Steve explains the up coming flood of coverage

Wednesday the great and wonderful Tribeca Film Festival happens and the film world will be waiting to see what goodies are uncovered.

Largely filled with World Premieres the festival is a grand pile of wrapped presents where no one knows what anything really is or how good the films are. Where with most other fests there is some idea what the films are, either via having played somewhere else or because of the filmmaker, that's not the case with Tribeca which year after year pulls unexpected cinematic goodies out of its hat. Its the not knowing what is going to be the next great film that keeps me coming back year after year simply because almost none of the films have been talked to death on social media.

This year there will be three of us on the ground, Ariela, Wendy and myself. Plus  we'll be stealing things from Liz Whittemore, plus we just made an  agreement to share coverage with Austin Belzer, and as always I have some other plans in the works so look for lots of stuff.

Look for reports from all sorts of events music, film and talks because I have a bunch of tickets for public screenings.

The festival will be blending with DeNiro Con in the final weekend, but I don't think we will have much coverage since you need a special badge to cover as press or pay the admission prices. Having splurged for a  large number of new films at Tribeca proper I can not afford to pay for the con films. ( I didn't realize my badge did not give me access to DeNiro)

It should be noted that where in years past the festival did  a huge selection of pre-fest screenings, this year there were a couple over three days so I am a good number of films behind and trying to see what my actual festival dance card will be.

I need to say that I will be dropping coverage as close to embargo as possible- but with so many film playing I can't drop reviews for everything all at once because the reviews will get lost. Coverage will go up as close to the embargo as I can manage and in the order I saw the films. 

What am I looking forward to? Seeing my friends. I'm not going to lie, Tribeca is a social occasion for me so the chance to see old friends and make new ones is what makes it special. This year I'm also going to a screening with my niece so that's a huge plus.

With some of the most insane images ever put on screen SHE LOVED BLOSSOMS will show you wondrous things

As this posts I have seen well over 40 films, both features and shorts. As I do every year I'm going to give you a list of the films I highly recommend. These are the ones you should make an effort to see:

TREASURE- Stephen Fry plays Lena Dunham's father in a true-ish tale of a father and daughter who go to Poland so she can learn but her family's life before the concentration camps. Fry is fantastic, as is Dunham, who normally is not a favored actress.

S/HE IS STILL HER/E - The Official Genesis P-Orridge Documentary- Portrait of the late great musician and writer in his own words. While not for all tastes this exploration of one person's quest to grow will delight anyone who can click with it

WITCHES- a stunning look at witches, motherhood, feminism, and other subjects in culture as focused through the director's life. This is  one of 2024' best films.

RUTHLESS BLADE - an animated short martial arts film which may change how we see martial arts cinema. It's as good an animated film as you will see all year and a stunning story which goes unexpectedly.  This is as high as cinema gets.

JANE AUSTIN'S PERIOD FILM- glorious short comedy that is exactly what the title says. It's an absolute delight.

THE DAMNED- See this on  a big screen. A remote whaling station in the 19th century has to decide whether to save those on a sinking hip or not. What happens is the film. It's a nail biting thriller made glorious by some of the best cinematography of the year.

REBEL COUNTRY- a look at the new rebels in country music makes clear that the only way to rebel is to be yourself. A great primer on the genre, it makes clear that anyone claiming these folk aren't country don't know their history

MY BEST FRIEND- one of the great shorts of the fest needs to be turned into a feature because I've never seen a film more truthful exploration about what happens when best friends sleep together and the complications that arise and there is more to tell.

CHECKPOINT ZOO- is the story of a zoo in Ukraine in direct line of the Russian invasion and the people fighting to keep the 5000 animals alive. Its an amazing and hopeful tale and one of the best of the fest

1-800-ON-HER-OWN is an amazing look at Ani DiFranco. If you want to get to know the woman this film is for you. If you want a hits laden puff piece look elsewhere. This is Ani touring and creating and its wonderful.

HONGFU HOTEL is one of the best films of the year. It heralds the arrival of Tian Xu who uses a ghost tale to inform us about life, loss and moving on. He says infinitely more in 20 minutes than most directors say in a career (An interview soon)

CATHARSIS is an arresting tale about a dancer with issues who goes to a weird shrink...it's an off kilter masterpiece that appears to have been made by one of David Lynch's spiritual children.

NEW WAVE is film I need to put on your radar. It's a look at the New Wave music that took root in the Vietnamese community in America that morphs into the story of the director who was abandoned by her mom who was too busy to raise her. It's not what you think and so much more.

JAZZY the final line of my review of Morrisa Maltz's coming of age film reads: "a stunning and grand achievement that is destined to be the big and most talked about film at this years festival." Buy your ticket now before it sells out and wins every award under the sun.

I am including BITTERROOT here because it needs to find its audience and may get swallowed by Tribeca.  It is a low key film moving at the speed of life, character study of a man in Montana taking care of his mom who wants him to find a nice girl and settle down and who is stung by life. You need to be patient and you can't mind silences.

A note: I will not be reviewing music videos. While videos such as Six Feet Deep are good. It's hard to say enough about them other than they are good to fill a post.

Okay, back to the darkness I have film to watch.

For more details and tickets go here.

For more coverage go to Liz Whittemore's REEL NEWS DAILY and for reviews and mind blowing interviews go to Austin Belzer's AUSTIN B MEDIA

The moving and true UNDER THE GREY SKY is worth your time.

Chaperone (2024) plays the Brooklyn Film Festival June 7

With CHAPERONE playing the BROOKLYN Film Festival Friday here is a repost of my Slamdance review from earlier this year.

Based on the directors own experiences, CHAPERONE is the story of a 28 year old woman working as a box office person at a small town movie theater in Hawaii who has an affair with a guy ten years her junior who thinks she's his age.

This film presents a problem for me, this is a small scale gem of a film that needs the festival circuit to generate interest, but kind of should never play festivals since it's going to get lost in the crush of films. Its a film that needs a gentle hand to steer the right audience, which I think is going to embrace it wholeheartedly.

While the film is really well made with some beautiful performances and a genuine sense of place, the film suffers in that it feels like any number of inde dramas that fill  festival slates every year. The thing is it really isn't like all the other inde films that it looks like on the face of it. Its a film that takes a little while to get going and once it does, and once it fully opens up with all the characters and themes it reveals itself to be something quietly spectacular because the characters end up kicking you in the gut. 

I really liked this film a great deal, with Mitzi Akaha giving a great performance that should get her great deal of notice. There is something wonderful going on behind there eyes. I also love that after a seeming by the numbers set up the film breaks out and goes into unexpected and emotional places.

Definitely worth a look, especially if you are willing to give the film the time to set the table before serving the meal.

Mi fanno male i capelli (2023) Open Roads 2024

Alba Rohrwacher stars as Monica, an amnesiac woman who imagines her own identity through Monica Vitti’s various performances.

Less a narrative then a cinematic tone poem much like some of the films of Michelangelo Antonioni, the film is an excuse for Rohrwacher to chew scenery and do a riff on the great Vitti. It’s a one of  a kind performance that stands less as an attempt to copy the earlier films and instead it’s a fantastic fashioning of something new.  It’s a stunning performance that will delight fans of both actresses.

Beyond being a showcase for a great performance the film doesn’t seem to add up to much. Yes it’s a character study, but I’m not certain to what end.

However don’t let that stop you from seeing this film, Rohrwacher’s performance is enough to have me recommend the film.

ADGIO (2023) Open Roads 2024

Teenage boy is used by a crooked cop in an ugly blackmail scheme that spins off into black places.

Neon infused neo-noir is set largely in a night time Rome that seems to be on fire (there is always an orange glow in the sky) and darker than usual thanks to frequent blackouts. It a film that for all its grittiness has been polished to a high sheen with so much of the film, carnage include looking like something you’d want to hang on your wall.  It’s so good that I’m trying to line up a second pass through the film just so I can see it on the big screen.

While this film isn’t weighty enough to fully stick to my brain as a perfect noir, the film is tense enough that I have been recommending the film to friends and family who are crime film friends that they need to go see this at Open Roads. Good bad or indifferent this is one hell of an entertaining ride and highly recommended.