I am not accustomed to watching every movie out there. My job, school and multitude of hobbies (sleeping counts damn it) prevent me from doing soI mostly catch the big hitters and, ever and anon, the sleepers. However, I always welcome requests to critique independent film projects, and Alex Ferrari's Broken is a very pleasant surprise. It is one of the few short films that coerced me to repeatedly utter "Dude
"
"What is Broken?" is the flashing question of the day. It depends on whom you askfrom one perspective it is an eight-grand-a-pop 15-minute film featuring an abbreviated story, a band of unknowns and over 100 visual effects. From another, it is an attempt at an uppercut directed toward Hollywood to prove that no-budget films can pack enough juice and luster to rival the best of the best that money grubbers can squeeze out of the nonstop grinder.
Assaulted by a nightmare, a girl wakes up in the darkness of her bedroom. As she steps toward the kitchen for a sip of something, her life turns upside down. She is abducted by a clownish fellow and his hell-bent subordinates. Restrained and oppressed, she does hold some unnatural power to push back. Is it a dream? Is it a manifestation? The ending gives several possible explanations.
For a 15-minute picture, the story is more than decent. It does, in fact, fit the profile of a chunk taken from a longer film, with compressed events. Besides that of Samantha Jane Polay and Paul Gordon, the acting does leave a bit to be desired, more so in the inflexibly robotic action sequences. Also, a small number of the edits were awkward, but presumably necessary due to fixed resources.
The major highlight of Broken is twofoldthe amazing visual effects and the photography. The dark yet vibrant green-toned claustrophobic atmosphere reminded me of a mix between The Sixth Sense, Fight Club, and Sin City. Equally magnificent are the photography and camera angles. They were insanely aesthetic and captivating, throwing you right into the mix. These are what prompted me to go "Dude " a number of times over the course of the short.
In general, I do not expect average moviegoers to see Broken yet. However, true film fans, including new converts, will undoubtedly enjoy it and I suggest they get their hands on it ASAP. It underhandedly gives a quick overview of where the passionate are headed with respect to film-making and technology, and how much of a gap those talents can nowadays bridge between what's aspired to and what's ostensibly impossible.
In spite of its few flaws, Broken is a major accomplishment in visual artistry. To the people behind the film: Kick-ass job!
Cin3ma TV
"What is Broken?" is the flashing question of the day. It depends on whom you askfrom one perspective it is an eight-grand-a-pop 15-minute film featuring an abbreviated story, a band of unknowns and over 100 visual effects. From another, it is an attempt at an uppercut directed toward Hollywood to prove that no-budget films can pack enough juice and luster to rival the best of the best that money grubbers can squeeze out of the nonstop grinder.
Assaulted by a nightmare, a girl wakes up in the darkness of her bedroom. As she steps toward the kitchen for a sip of something, her life turns upside down. She is abducted by a clownish fellow and his hell-bent subordinates. Restrained and oppressed, she does hold some unnatural power to push back. Is it a dream? Is it a manifestation? The ending gives several possible explanations.
For a 15-minute picture, the story is more than decent. It does, in fact, fit the profile of a chunk taken from a longer film, with compressed events. Besides that of Samantha Jane Polay and Paul Gordon, the acting does leave a bit to be desired, more so in the inflexibly robotic action sequences. Also, a small number of the edits were awkward, but presumably necessary due to fixed resources.
The major highlight of Broken is twofoldthe amazing visual effects and the photography. The dark yet vibrant green-toned claustrophobic atmosphere reminded me of a mix between The Sixth Sense, Fight Club, and Sin City. Equally magnificent are the photography and camera angles. They were insanely aesthetic and captivating, throwing you right into the mix. These are what prompted me to go "Dude " a number of times over the course of the short.
In general, I do not expect average moviegoers to see Broken yet. However, true film fans, including new converts, will undoubtedly enjoy it and I suggest they get their hands on it ASAP. It underhandedly gives a quick overview of where the passionate are headed with respect to film-making and technology, and how much of a gap those talents can nowadays bridge between what's aspired to and what's ostensibly impossible.
In spite of its few flaws, Broken is a major accomplishment in visual artistry. To the people behind the film: Kick-ass job!
Cin3ma TV