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Reviews
Claustrophobia (2003)
Good Suspense
I really enjoyed this thriller a lot. It's definitely the type of movie that keeps you thinking and guessing unlike the lackluster Hollywood thrillers being pumped out recently. The creative glue to Claustrophobia is the overall idea, directing and great acting. It's worth seeing even though at times it can take time to reveal its secrets. However, It's worth the wait. The story and moral questions it presents creep into the psyche and last well after the film is finished. I think the director should be complimented for doing a really good job in keeping the audience involved. The twists and turns are just enough to keep one hooked to its final conclusion.
American Virgin (1999)
Smart
The subject matter of this movie is smart.
Not only does is raise an interesting argument about the future of porn on the internet but it also shows the hypocrisy of those who make porn. The world this film creates is not to far off from the future and I give the writer credit for trying to show the internet for what it can be, one big whore fest polluting our children's minds and bodies. I read a review for this film in the New York Times. Suprisingly, they got the point of the film too. I'm glad they could appreciate the subject matter despite its limitations.
Mole (2001)
A fun, exiting flick.
Considering this film was shot underneath New York City in real abandoned subway tunnels, it's an eye opener from the get go. It kept my interest throughout the story and I really liked the opening sequence which sucks you right in. It's here you get a great sense of the NYC underground as never seen before. The story is about Susan Pei a news reporter trying to impress her boss by exploring the underground for a news story about the homeless. She convinces a cameraman at the station, Nick, and Tom a guy who claims to know the tunnels to go down there and get the story. However, as they enter the vast underground things start to go wrong, leaving the characters in the dark with dying flashlights. As they struggle to find a way out before their flashlights die out the greater problem emerges that they are being followed by someone or worse something that lives in the tunnels.
This movie creeps up on you if you watch it at night. The scenes get darker and darker until the characters are practically on top of each other trying to find a way out and avoid the hidden entity. It becomes so claustrophobic at times I found myself having the same anxieties the characters were experiencing. The filmmakers of `Mole' should really be commended for their ability to create such a compelling story on such a low budget. It defines the filmmaker's commitment to independent movie making. I was really surprised how this little film managed to keep sucking me in deeper and deeper as the story progressed. I would have loved to see what they could have done with a real big budget but I guess I might not have been the same type of film. Maybe it was its independent, rugged, style that charmed me but I really enjoyed it for what it was. And I recommend watching this film to the end because the moralistic twist is something we haven't seen in a long time in market saturated with monster movies that amount to nothing redeeming.