Reviews

Time and parallel universes have always been attractive to science fiction writers.

However, like in most cases, the paradoxes evoked are too inconsistent. Humour may have helped, but there wasn't enough to make the film enjoyable.

The acting was fine, but the story was too inconsistent to lead anywhere.

At the end, everybody can imagine a story where the plot is lost.

Perhaps if the authors were thinking of making a series, with various subplot, a little like the "twilight zone" of old, it could have made more sense, but as it is the show seems to go nowhere, leaving the viewer with appetizers and no substance.

Reviews left seems all positive, but I guess I have seen a different movie.

Poorly directed, the script is similarly agonising, the story dull.

Actors try to do their best, but it is hopeless.

Boredom permeates the entire length, with overlong scenes and meaningless "chapters".

If one likes contemplating paint drying...perhaps this romance may be exciting, but I doubt anyone else can possibly find it a model of cinematography.

I had hope that this film should have been one of those minor jewels that are made cheaply and intelligently.

However, as many other reviewers pointed out, everybody can make up a script without intrinsic logic and that leaves more questions than those that can answer.

In spite of the best effort of the cast, and some minor skill in the direction, the lack of a coherent storyline at the end rend it all useless.

It is broadly inspired by Polansky's Repulsion, but the switching between what could have been and wasn't will not work if there is not a baseline.

The 5 rating is generous and because of the acting efforts.

The film portrays the survival story of young Sara, portrayed with subtle intensity by Zuzanna Surowy. Amongst the horrors of the Nazi occupation, and the ferocious Jews persecution in the Ukraine the protagonist manages to escape pretending to be a gentile. The peasant she shelters with are not good or altruistic, they are just downtrodden people, fiercely attached to their land and traditions. While the cinematography and the direction is passable but not memorable and the story line somehow mundane, probably the better aspect of the production reside in the depiction of the local peasant society, of their perennial straggle against whatever power exploit them and their self-reliance. People that cannot afford to be generous or open-minded. There are only few acts of genuine altruism and many more of the opposite but the unsentimental and non-judgmental approach to the storytelling is refreshing, leaving the viewer to make up its mind on the grey morality of the real world.

One would expects this "feel good" type of movies to be without much originality but still to be at least mildly entertaining.

Sadly it is not. It is barely watchable, unsure in its direction between an insipid melancholy and a mirthless humor. It only achieves to be tasteless and in most places downright boring. The actors have a mild attempt but clearly the direction is missing. Not quite a waste of time but napping would be a better use of it. The idea is trite but could have been exploited by a more competent hand into a number of gags and quirky moments. As it is one can predict everything and find oneself totally disengaged.

This is one of those movies that let one wander ones own masochistic tendencies. There are some interesting premises, the exotic allure of the Armenian location, known and usually decent actors, a background of a complex and modern conflict and the human interest of a different culture. All is wasted. From the first moment of the movies one realizes that it is an exercise in narcissism. All unveils on incredible slow pace, with the long shots of landscapes, glances and a mostly discontinued episodic narrative. The type of film you can leave for coffee and return to without missing much. At the end it boils down to the story of a rather uninteresting romance interspersed with insufferable dullard voice-overs and tedious pretentious imagery. Avoid.

Usually the IMDb ratings are a fair assessment of the quality of a movie, at least when a seizable amount of viewers have taken part. Of course there is a lot of pressure from the movies producers to bias the results. When films have a small samples this is sometimes the case. You get the impression here that somehow, someone has managed to do this here in spite of the largish amount of people that have somehow taken part. The movie itself is trash, unoriginal and in spite of the cameo appearances decisively unfunny. It is unlikely that anyone that has a modicum of common sense can see this production and think that is anything but a larger budget run of the mill B movie. Do not waste your time and money after it. What you see in the trailer is just about it.

I have to say I was impressed, pleasantly by this indie production. I did chance upon the movie and I did not expect much from the story line. I thought it would be some kind of children offering and I was prepared to sample and leave it. However I found a little gem of a film. It is funny, well acted and briskly paced. The story of the little genius is more incidental than central to the theme. I particularly like the black humour that one wouldn't expect associated with with child actors. All in all it shows that mega budget are not needed to produce an intelligent, humorous and entertaining production. Well done Dennis Lee. I will watch out for this director/writer.

The movie could have been something funny for family and kids to watch. it has been instead a lost opportunity. There are some wasted actors but the film do not really give them the chance to make it work. To say that is boring is an understatement. The film is dull. Even for a kid it must be uninteresting. The material and the ideas are utterly wasted and I had to skip it now and then to be able to watch till the credits. Do not waste time to watch it or to take your kids to watch. There are much better and funnier (even for adults)family films. Comedy ghost films have a long and well established tradition and new uptakes shouldn't be difficult to add. Instead we have a rehash of previous uptakes on the subject from "Ghost Busters" to Casper minus the humour. Do not encourage this kind of waste.

Decent entertainment

This is more than a decent movie. It seems that some reviewers expected some kind of "B" horror but it is obvious that it was intended as entertaining. In fact it is quite humorous but it is a type of "shaggy dog tale" type of humour so not everybody will get it. Some of the overall propositions, for instance the trolls smelling Christian blood (Muslim one is untested!!) are obviously over the top and quite funny and certainly not in line with a "mockumentary". I think some of the reviewers should lighten up a little. The characters are reasonably well played and the hunter is really cool. There is some jocular references to other films but not a spoof as such. The special effects are reasonable for a fun picture and generally well done. Some other review put scorn on them but I think they missed out the overall joke. After all if one tries to understand something humorous as a serious concern one may find a load of contradictions and nonsense!! Well maybe it is not a masterpiece but all in all but one can do worse for sure. Recommended.