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Reviews
Vernissage (2023)
Violence in Art
I rarely review short films but with this 15-minute Swedish short, soon to be showing at the Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films, I thought it was worth doing.
The definition of 'Vernissage' is "a private view of paintings before a public exhibition". The crumbling relationship played out in this short film becomes a very public one and you could muse that the 'artist' has created it as part of her exhibited portfolio.
Simon and Siván are in a relationship that clearly has issues but one that only one of them thinks is worth saving. This becomes obvious to the viewer during a couples therapy session. That the end of the relationship is played out effectively during the private showing of Siván's art - dead animals and violent images appears to be deliberate, as shown by her actions before and during the exhibition.
The 'show not tell' elements of Vernissage are good from the opening scenes, who is really in control of the relationship?
Siván is, without doubt, a cold narcissist, completely lacking in empathy with Simon, the unwitting 'subject' of what could be described as 'performance art'.
I thought the scenes in the art gallery, with the catchy soundtrack and use of camera, were very good. Perhaps Simon himself could have been more aggressive in this scene, but then again I believe violence was not in HIS nature.
I would recommend Vernissage and I hope it does well for its Swedish cast and crew on the international short film circuit.
Before We Die: Episode #1.1 (2021)
Poor script, wooden acting, not a patch on the Original
The headline says it all. A rushed production set in Bristol but actually filmed in Brussels, which pretends to be Bristol. That's as fake as the Scottish accent the character Billy has.
The original Swedish series was 10 episodes long allowing the noir and tension to build. This is rushed with terrible dialogue and no tension. The acting is poor and every professional review I have read has rubbished it. They aren't wrong.
If you want to see what the story is all about I suggest you delve into the glorious world of Subtitles and watch the original Swedish version for a rollercoaster ride in pure nordic noir. Avoid this immitation at all vosts!
Before We Die (2021)
Poor Imitation Copy, Weak and Rushed
If you are going to make a copy of a hugely popular Nordic noir original then at least make half an effort. This UK production of an original set in Stockholm is supposed to be Bristol, but is in fact filmed in Brussels, pretending to be Bristol.
The plot had been mashed down into just 6 episodes from the original 10 thus losing all the delicious Nordic noir build-up of tension from the original.
The kindest thing to be said of the acting is...it's wooden at best. The script is laughable and the fake Scottish accent of character Billy Regan, is just that. Fake. Pretty much sums up the whole show.
Tbh 1 star is too generous. If you want to watch this show, I suggest you start with the Swedish original of the same name which is far far far superior and written by heavyweights Niklas Rockström and Wilhelm Behrman who can actually write and have awards to prove that.
Red Dot (2021)
Prepare for the unexpected!
This was a much anticipated film on many levels including Netflix first purchase of a Swedish feature film and hopefully bring more Scandi/Nordic noir to Netflix.
The setting in Dalarna is sensational, you can feel the bitter cold and the cinematography is stunning, especially with the Northern Lights and forest scenes.
The plot unravels and be prepared for surprises. Some seriously 'shout out' moments of tension and you easily forget you are watching just a handful of actors. The film ended and my heart was pounding. I know one of the actors involved and they got an immediate deserved 'grattis' from me. This film was well worth the wait and I can definitely recommend for plot, tension, scandi noir and cinematography. May think twice about camping alone tho!