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GeorgeAson
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Vouta (2020)
A hidden gem
In all honesty I have rarely seen such well made Greek films. This short film captures atmosphere, hardship, realism, kindness and social issues all while managing to stay immersive in its short runtime.
Honestly it's miles better from other short films of its kind that fail to do even basic writing and acting. Great acting, great writing, I honestly wish they decide to make a bigger project sometime in the future.
The Rise of the Synths (2019)
Great quotes, atmosphere and characters but...
There was so much potential here. It's a crime this documentary showcases just half of the culture of synthwave.
There are some great personalities on screen, amazing quotes about creating art, criticism, coming of age, nostalgia, timeless creations etc.
But some who defined this musical generation -like Mind.in.a.box- or continue it -like Skeler- are missing from the documentary. Celldweller/Scandroid and Perturbator (the more popular ones) have little time on screen. It's a shame cause it looked like they had a lot to say but end up hardly showing up. On the contrary, some artists who aren't really saying anything significant, use much of the documentary's running time.
Also, the thousands of culture references are nowhere to be found. Just to give a few examples, they could have stated Mass Effect trilogy, Cyberpunk 2077 or any sci-fi game that uses synthwave OST, Hotline Miami, the new Blade Runner or Interstellar movies etc.
I'm not saying they should have focused on the newer stuff but the message that synthwave has a way bigger influence than ever before needed backup proof -and there's ton, but not presented in this documentary.
The other negative for me is the way the documentary flows. Sometimes it cuts from one location/person/song to the next, before the previous ones have even began. If you want to enjoy the song being played or get to know the bands and their characters, forget it. Is moves too fast.
Nevertheless, it has great atmosphere and presentation, and really is a great homage to (mainly the '80s) older generations. For anyone thinking that's a problem because they wanted to hear more about synths and less about the culture, well tough luck. I personally thought it was justified.
Overall, I get that the budget was limited due to this being crowdfunded, and I applaud the work done. Rise of the Synths got many things right, and a few things wrong, but definitely needed at least another half hour of screentime to delve a little deeper on the concept of synthwave.
Nagwonui bam (2020)
Immersive, beautifully shot and...?
"I won't mince words".
The plot of the film was the least interesting thing about it, not because it's bad, it's just that we have seen it all before again and again. Gangsters, revenge, violence, blah blah.
Simple, right? Wrong.
Why?
Because through the immersive cinematography, the way the story is presented, the dark and mature themes, and the overall atmosphere the film portrays, is top notch. It is more complex than that but it never shows it. Instead, it lets the viewer understand it by going beyond the mainstream - not by using an extraordinary plot but by portraying empty environments, nature, appreciation of quietness and feelings that are hidden behind all of the previous.
The film mostly takes place in a remote place, so the opportunity for portraying said feeling of loneliness and appreciation of simple life and nature, has been well utilized.
There is action, sure, but many could argue that the pacing is a little bit off - boring at times, even. But I believe that it was presented in such a way that every scene added to the character development and the overall climax.
Let me give an example: Showing the main characters eating together, may be boring for some, but if you look beyond the simplicity of the scene, you can see that this was added because bonding is achieved through experiences. Simple or complex. And our protagonists live through many. Simple, like eating food together, going on rides or drinking at night. Complex, like being forced to watch the man you grew to like, unjustly being murdered by people with connections or trying to prevent a girl you've known for a only few hours from committing suicide. And this way, you grow more fond of them and you stop seeing them as indestructible machines most "heroes' are. They are just tormented people that want to be left alone.
And this for me, is the true meaning of the overall theme of the film. Loneliness, depicted through beautiful cinematography and past mistakes.
The ending is also very gritty, this film makes you believe that you will witness Avengers type of action and indestructibility of the main actors. You think that our protagonist will beat the hell out of the bad guys and save the girl. Guess again. And thus, it leaves you with a very sad feeling when the credits roll. Again, loneliness is felt even more.
Immersiveness is key in nearly every film and for me, Park Hoon-jung has created his best film to date.
The acting is also phenomenal, but I haven't yet seen a Korean film with bad acting, tbh.
TL; DR: If you like dark films, beautiful cinematography and appreciate film-making, watch it now. If you expect thousands of plot-twists, 2 hours of action and "good guys always win" mentality, don't.