So I know there is going to be some Booniac, or Bucklehead out there that is going to be all "Ya, great review Boony what took you so damn long?" Well screw you random Vidiot. There is a lot of filmed entertainment out there and sometimes, well it takes me a while to stumble across these things. Ok. Good.
Moving on.
Brilliant.
That was the first thought I had when I finished this film.
Ok, before I gush with what I think should be one of the MUSTSEEs for anyone that believes the indie scene is where it's at... or anyone simply tired of the same sad story structure and hero arcs of the mainstream...
Let's talk plot.
So. There is a young girl. There are also beings that influence our dreams. Feeding us good, and warmth, and basically breeding a connection to all our shiny places. This young girl is a wonderfully imaginative child, and has become a favourite of one of these dream people. There are also dark beings that feed you evil, and breed nightmares while you sleep. One night a dark one takes the spirit of the little girl. And a quest through the world of dreams, nightmares, and our world, begins to get her back.
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| Yup. I'm gunna say it. The nose knows! |
The fights between the dream warriors (shout out 80s!) and the nightmare people are surprisingly awesome. And when I say surprising, I mean, I was shocked... and thoroughly entertained. The structure of the quest in the dream world as the creature drags his child hostage through the twisted universe is giddy gold. Something straight from the mind of a Neil Gaiman.
I am reminded of the famous quote from Alfred Hitchcock: "To make a great film you need three things - the script, the script, and the script."
How true is that? How many huge budgeted films forget that simply fact? INK to me, is the definition of that statement. It's a small budgeted film, that almost fully convinces you it is not by way of an extremely quick and intriguing script. The blind "Pathfinder" in particular is an example of how to create interest in a character, so that when his moment comes it's effectively gripping. Throw in a few camera and lighting tricks, some above par acting (the Father is great), a few decent fights, a simply and effective score... and well... you have what adds up to one of my biggest surprises of the last few years.
This is not a film for everyone. Let me make that clear. There are some very grainy shots (the directors attempt to differentiate worlds). The effects are, while clever for the budget, still very limited by the budget. So if you are honestly put out by cheap looking projects, then there really is no need to invest here... unless you have come to trust my opinion above all else (and I mean, of course you do) and believe this will be the film to change your opinion... because it damn well could. And to all those films I have watched and just been annoyed as shit with ducktape and spackle endings, twisty twist non-sense BS. Finally, a complicated, layered film, that comes together in the end in a satisfactory and "Oh that makes sense" kinda way.
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| Apparently Kevin from Sin City reproduced... |
This is a film I will watch again. And probably again. Even if the story had failed to live up to the attempts at grandeur by the filmmaker... it would have been worth a rewatch if only to appreciate the glory of indie triumph.
(Let pause for a moment as I raise my fist in the air)
There are some really awesome moments here - The fight near the end... The way the furniture fixes itself as they fight through the house at the beginning... the emotions of the hair cutting scene... Alright I'm gushing now to the bad.
I hope you check this film out, I am, as you can tell, glad I did. Every once in a while a film really catches you off guard and moves you in some way. That is the beauty of film, the reason so many of us film geeks, vidiots, and bloggers invest so much time and effort. Wadding through so much junk. To recapture that feeling. Just desperate for the next fix... Ok, dammit, know this film has made me all sappy. Crap. And... I think I just used a junkie analogy. I'm done.
Good. Most things.
Bad. The budget.
movie scale 4 out of 5 stars
Action/Drama/fantasy scale 3.5 out of 5 stars.
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