THE LOVED ONES

Robin McLeavy – Princess, or Lola

Xavier Samuel – Brent

John Brumpton – Daddy

Victoria Thaine - Holly

Richard Wilson – Jamie

Jessica McNamee – Mia

Dir. Sean Byrne

Producer – Mark Lazarus

Ambience Entertainment

84mins

‘The Loved Ones’ (dir. Sean Byrne) is a film that allows itself to explore and confront teenage angst in such a way that the end result is, very simply, a joy to watch.  By comparing the ways in which teenagers deal with loss and longing in simplistic terms, ‘The Loved Ones’ is made fresh and surprising.  The visual style and cinematography, married with scenes of intense physical pain, solitude, and teenage fantasy, result in a free-spinning cotton candy machine, lovingly crystalized with blood.  This film exalts in the hot pink of prom night, making it hugely aesthetically pleasing, even during scenes of horrific torture.   

As teenagers, we are offered restrictions: a date can’t be found for a dance; we can’t figure out ways to overcome loss; we are ostracized by our peers; authority figures don’t allow us the space to blossom.  ‘The Loved Ones’ is able to project various stages of angst onto, and from within, each of it’s characters without causing any of them to be stereotypical, though on the surface they may be.  ‘Lola’, or ‘Princess’ (Robin McLeavy), is one of the better villains to grace the horror screen in quite some time.  Both relentless and innocent, McLeavy commands the screen with intensity – in one particularly powerful instance, screaming “Cry!” to ‘Brent’ (Xavier Samuel) over and over again, as her father (John Brumpton) drives knives into his feet.  As father and daughter, they break the surface of the Electra Complex with a dance at the end: Princess finally realizing that her father is “the only one for me”.  In the torture and mistreatment of ‘Bright Eyes’ (Anne Scott-Pendlebury), her mother, and the dispensing of suitors over the years, Princess has obviously pursued her father as a partner. 

Throughout the film, the pairing of Brent and Princess is juxtaposed with the night that ‘Jamie’ (Richard Wilson), and ‘Mia’ (Jessica McNamee), are having together.  Mia, suffering from the loss of her brother, comparatively projects her angst in a far different manner than Jamie, or Brent: heavy drinking and a dour attitude versus Brent’s penchant for ‘cutting’ and a dour attitude.  (Quite arguably, Brent’s past of ‘cutting’ is what saves him: his pain tolerance, and his razor blade necklace).  ‘Holly’ (Victoria Thaine) is obviously neglected.  In fact, Jamie is possibly the only character that can be construed to have a normal life. 

‘The Loved Ones’ is a great film, surprising with each turn of the camera; and, as a first time feature director, Sean Byrne is completely assured.  The performances he is able to extract from Samuel, and, particularly, McLeavy is beyond exciting.  While Brent’s ordeal is not easily forgotten, (in a way it frees him from blaming himself for the death of his father), it's Princess who will haunt you afterwards.  

Afterthought:  In many ways the intensity, great direction, strength of it's lead actress, and tone of The Loved Ones reminded me of Lucky McKee's first film May.  

Here is Roger Ebert's review of May:
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20030606/REVIEWS/306060303/1023

Though I'm one not to get excited over 'Lists', I do always enjoy Slant Magazine's Lists.  Here is their idea of what the Top 100 Films of the 90's were:

http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/feature/the-100-best-films-of-the-1990s/334

Agree or disagree, it's a great way to start a debate.

Last I wrote anything was quite a while ago (for a few reasons)... so this is the second start ... and I'm going to try to go about this a little differently: I almost want to coherently ramble; this might be a radio show, this might be verbal diahheria.  And this structure might be way off ... maybe a little whiskey soaked (with pints for chasers). 

I'm hoping between reviews that this will be an ongoing essay.   

I want to focus on, amongst other things, remakes, the state of the horror film now, and the nature of ideas pertaining to the genre.  To begin:  The Evil Dead remake has released the red band trailer.  What I wasn't expecting was to be totally compelled.  When I heard that this remake was in production, my initial reaction was to recoil in horror.  But judging by the way I reacted to the trailer, I may be proved wrong:

Here is a link to the trailer: 

http://collider.com/evil-dead-remake-trailer/203262/

Have you read all the Stephen King novels?? I admit I've read a bunch - some absolute shit, some pretty good - so I couldn't help but add this link: (a ranked list of them all from, arguably, worst to best).

http://www.vulture.com/2012/04/ranking-all-62-stephen-king-books.html

Who can tell me what movie that shirt is from??

I've just discovered the fantastic duo of Jen and Sylvia Soska ...   from Vancouver, they have one feature under their belt -         Dead Hooker in a Trunk - and another - American Mary in post.  (They had the amazing judgement of casting Katharine Isabelle of Ginger Snaps in American Mary).  In addition, have a look at their great PSA for the Women in Horror Month   Blood Drive.

And, to be honest, I'm super jealous that they recently watched the American Werewolf in London panel at Monsterpalooza!!  (It's one of my top 5 favourites!)

check out these amazing ladies here:
http://www.twistedtwinsproductions.net/main.htm

Below is the first review I have to offer for Lake Views & Knives,    so I hope you enjoy it.  This blog is in it's infancy - so I'm soon going to clean up the page, (white font on a dark background sure won't   be a theme), and have a review - either of an old or a newer film - once a week I hope!

thanks all!!!

We Are What We Are: 
A gorgeous film, that lost it's focus.

Paulina Gaitan - Sabina 

Francisco Barreiro - Alfredo 

Alan Chavez - Julian 

Carmen Beato - Patricia

Written and directed by Jorge Michel Grau

Produced by Nicolas Celis

IFC Midnight

1hr 29min.

'We're monsters', the mother tells her child as they drive through the dark, green tinted streets.  The mother, (Carmen Beato), and her child (Alan Chavez), are two of four remaining members of a cannibalistic family.  She tells her son this in a very matter-of-fact way.  And this is much the same as the tone of the film: 'We Are What We Are' (Somos Lo Que Hay) is dark, plodding, and real.  Only hours previous, the head of the family dies mysteriously in a shopping mall.  The patriarch hunted and brought home food for the family, so the task is now left to his oldest son, Alfredo (Francisco Barreiro) to provide for his siblings and mother.  Almost instantly, we become aware that his younger sister, Sabina (Paulina Gaitan) is far better suited for this task.  Intelligent and resourceful, she spars briefly with Alfredo, passive and childish, and Julian, headstrong and violent, as she tries to convey the family's needs to the boys - and exactly as they need to hear it.  Sabina is a survivor, determined to keep the family together, and keep their 'ritual' intact.  After her brothers fail at their first attempt, she councils Alfredo on 'their ritual', the line of succession, and what to do.  'No matter what, we have to continue', she tells Alfredo.  We are never given reason for their adherence to this 'ritual', beyond the fact that we can assume her father, a watchmaker, had put this system in place.

Alfredo and Julian successfully, albeit clumsily, bring home a prostitute for dinner.  Apparently because their father was 'addicted to whores', Patricia finds the woman unacceptable to butcher.  As Julian begins assaulting the prostitute, Patricia violently beats her to death.  Patricia and Julian return the body to the same corner they found it.  This proves to be the family's undoing, as a pair of idiot, corrupt detectives decide to make this case the case to solve.  Ultimately, the police find the family, and the two brothers are killed.  Before his death, Alfredo attacks his sister, momentarily absolving Sabina of their crimes: by injuring her, and causing her to be victim to their atrocities, she is able to live, to start over.  Patricia, on the other hand, is beaten to death in an act of vengeance: the gang of prostitutes finds her, and are able to exact their revenge.  At the end of the film, we find Sabina escaped from the hospital, spotting her prey in the crowd.

Jorge Michel Grau has created a film which is both horrific and empathetic.  Beautifully shot, like the kitchen sink dramas to come out of England in the 60's and 70's, the film treads slowly along, exhibiting the social and psychological dysfunction the family faces.  As a first horror film, 'We Are What We Are' succeeds where many fail: it's dark, tense, and visually stunning. The family's insistence on time and ritual serves the story well: we are meant to be horrified and disgusted by the fact that they are cannibals, yet the viewer is wary of judging them based on their socio-economic realities.  The father being a watchmaker, time and ritual is what enables the family to continue doing what they do; by blanketing the unthinkable in 'ritual', it takes away the horrific nature of what is being done.  The characters are made empathetic because they are introverted and alien - they are lost in a ritual they cannot break out of.  The teenagers are consistently gazing into the world outside their apartment; we see the family through an opaque plastic sheet smeared with blood; through smoke, bars and fences.  The family is seen through barriers, however small, as a conduit to their reality and condition.  This is where the film differs from Texas Chainsaw Massacre.  The cannibals of Texas Chainsaw Massacre are repugnant in every way - physically, mentally, and socially - yet the viewer never considers their behaviour as necessity.  The family that Tobe Hooper creates never feels the need to hide themselves - it's the rest of the world that infringes upon them.  Grau enables the viewer to pass less of a harsher judgement on the family in 'We Are What We Are' because we do feel empathy for them.  We feel for their situation, and, despite a similar socio-economic environment being emphasized in Texas Chainsaw Massacre, one situation causes the viewer to fear, the other to empathize.  (To an extent, of course.)  

That being said, the film does lose it's focus.  Is it acceptable to think that the family will quite readily eat a taxi driver (by all appearances a strong, stable person), but won't stoop to eating 'faggots', or 'whores'?(the latter briefly discussed, and the former we see is the case when the wayward Alfredo somewhat proudly brings home a homosexual to butcher for dinner).  Is it acceptable to still retain empathy for this family when they perpetrate violence against women and homosexuals in a way that seems beyond the films intent?  The prostitutes resemble little else than a mob of zombies.  If Grau's intention is for us to bear witness to his impoverished family as the Other, than his voice is lost when he uses the disenfranchised as a stepping stone.  The purpose is weakened if we empathize with impoverished cannibals, while sex workers and homosexuals have little humanity to reveal to the viewer.

However, I believe 'We Are What We Are' is an exceptional horror film that simply loses it's focus.  The claustrophobic set is fantastic, and the film's score is phenomenal.  The cannibals lurk through their apartment littered with clocks and butcher's tools - a kind of nightmare living situation by way of Dali and 1970's punk rock.  Jorge Michel Grau is very talented, and 'We Are What We Are' is an exceptional horror debut - the type that keeps the genre new and fresh.  I can only assume his next film will be just as visionary.