Valhalla Rising Review

Valhalla Rising, 2009
Reviewed By: Dan S.
Directed By: Nicolas Winding Refn
Written By: Nicolas Winding Refn, Roy Jacobsen
Starring: Mads Mikkelsen
Language: English

The Plot: A mute psychic viking and a little boy go sailing with some really dumb Christian warriors who get lost, drink some pyschotropic brew, and are randomly shot by arrows.

The Review: "Valhalla Rising" successfully generates a most unnerving atmosphere with its creepy desolate scenery and harsh droning musical score. Unfortunately, the dark quasi-spiritual imagery and unique music are the only things this movie has going for it. Thanks to director Nicolas Winding Refn's tedious pacing and frustrating editing, this visually intriguing film becomes an increasingly painful experience to even tolerate, let alone enjoy. Featuring very little in the way of dialogue, character development, and action; the primitive narrative snails through its modest running time with little of note occuring. Save the distinct looking Mikkelsen who has nothing to do except stare out of his one good eye and a likable young boy who acts his voice, the rest of the cast are a faceless and forgettable lot. There are also some distracting CGI animated chapter cards that kill the mood every few minutes, weak animated gore effects, and some goofy "future vision" that isn't elaborated upon. Also, there's a lot of mud.

Rating: **

Aguirre, the Wrath of God Review

Aguirre, the Wrath of God 1972

Reviewed by: Dan S.

Directed by: Werner Herzog

Written by: Werner Herzog

Starring: Klaus Kinski

Languge: German

Aguirre drifts somewhere between the most gritty realism and the most stylized of the surreal. Painfully shot on location in the grueling jungles of South America, Herzog lingers on the scenery in such a way that the misty mountains and raging rapids start to take on a strange dream like quality. The droning minimalist musical score adds to the hazy, trance inducing atmosphere. Much like the doomed characters of the film, the viewer also becomes lost in a fever dream where reality and fantasy blur. You 'll see a distant ship nested in the tree tops and wander if it is really there or not. All the while, Herzog's eye for harsh realistic detail serves as a reminder of the film's reality. There is a strange numb dread about the movie, one of the most peaceful descents into oblivion you can possibly hope for. Even the more violent death scenes come across as being painless and gradual, so much so that many of the characters don't even seem to notice that they're dead, let alone care. Just as death gradually consumes the characters, the apocalyptic climax creeps up on the viewer without them even knowing it.

The story is a simple one, told visually and with little dialouge. The missionary (Del Negro) spaciously narrates the more concrete aspects of story. On the surface it is simply a tale of greedy conquistadors who revolt against orders, sail down the river, and are gradually killed off by hunger, illness, natives, and each other. Kinski approaches Aguirre with a quiet, controlled intensity that makes his character far more disturbing than any ranting lunatic; letting his expressive eyes convey the scheming madness and menace boiling under the surface. Kinski, of course, dominates every scene, but the supporting performances are also fantastic. In addition to Del Negro, Helena Rojo and Ruy Guerra give near-silent, strong-faced performances that interestingly clash with the tragedy of their situation. They are sympathetic, but they aren't asking for your sympathy or even your support. While none of the supporting characters are boundless with development or depth, everyone is at least allowed a revealing scene or two that makes them more than just props for Herzorg's camera.

Rating:

Centurion Review

Centurion, 2010
Reviewed by: Dan S.

Director: Neil Marshall

Written By: Neil Marshall
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Olga Kurylenko.

Language: English

Centurion is a quick and dirty historical chase movie featuring great looking costumes, brutal battlefield gore effects, and the very real grueling elements of Northern Scotland. These majestic but desolate ancient locations dominate the movie, often rendering the actors tiny ants in the distance. On the rare occasions we get intimate with the cast, the frostbite visible on their skin is no special effect and their shivering certainly isn't acting, this is some hardcore guerilla filmmaking from rising genre director Neil Marshall. Framed with complex jump editing and shaky camera work, the violent multi-weapon action that dominates the movie is hard hitting and authentic feeling.

As the central antagonist Olga Kurylenko's gives an intense silent performance, her startling stare conveying both rage and tragedy. Unforunately, the rest of the cast fails to make much of an impression with even some of the cliché stock characters blurring together. Leading man Michael Fassbender is terribly dry, and even with sporadic "stating the obvious" mood killing narration you can't really connect with the guy. While the film is exciting when it's rolling the narrative is lurching on fumes by the closing act, and the precious few slow scenes feel like painful abrupt stops rather than welcomed breathers. The unique spectacle of the movie is worth seeing but it isn't a very satisfying film experience overall.

Rating: