Eden Lake (2008)

Director: James Watkins

Cast: Kelly  Reilly, Michael Fassbender, Jack O'Connell 
Genre: Thriller

A gruesome hoodie horror/thriller set in the British backwoods.

For a weekend getaway, Steve (Fassbender) and his girlfriend Jenny (Reilly) visit an outback quarry-lake before the beautiful surroundings are devoured by an upcoming urbanization, forever. Enjoy their time away from civilization; the reverie is suddenly broken by a bunch of rowdy kids lead by a yobbo, Brett (O'Connell). Quite evidently, Brett is used to have things his way, by hook or crook, by bullying or beating.

The group starts monkeying around with the couple and it soon turns into ugly coquetry. Shocked at this vulgar behavior of some teenagers, Steve confronts the group but immediately retreats on account of incessant mocking and insults hurled at him--coming especially from Paige (Finn Atkins).

The group further besets the couple by stealing their belongings/car and stranding them at night in the middle of a jungle. To get his belongings/car back, Steve's second encounter with the kids results into violent clashes and Brett unleashing his belligerent bitch on him. Accidentally, Brett's dog gets killed and all hell breaks loose. Now, the infuriated group tries to murder the couple. Steve and Jenny somehow manage to escape and begins the game of cat-and-mouse, followed up with plenty bloodbath and torture.

Film does sounds like any other survival-thriller but atmosphere is quite electric, build up is great, and the climax sequence literally 'screams horror' in your face--even sans the gore. You feel for Reilly and yearn for that sweet revenge, with clamped fists and gritty teeth. Alas! might just be out of reach.  

Toward the end of film (signs were there even earlier) we realize these demented children can actually be attributed to reckless parents and messed-up upbringing in a malevolent society/environment.

Fassender is not in his usual impactful, meaty role. It is Reilly and O,Connell who really steal the show here. O'Connell hardly seems to be portraying a character. All that hatred and hostility seems quite inherent--I call that brilliant acting.

Direction is top notch. I am pretty sure Watkins isn't trying to belittle any indigenous community through this film--just showcasing what can happen in any part of the world under similar circumstances. He perfectly captures the intricacies of how immorality continues to survive and thrive.

8/10

I Spit on Your Grave (2010)

Director: Steven R. Monroe

Cast: Sarah Butler

Mighty Avengers couldn’t have done it better! A girl exacts revenge on her assaulters in most gruesome ways imaginable. 

A writer (Jennifer Hills played by Sarah Butler) seeking solitude to work on her next novel retreats in a secluded cabin. All alone, she is subjected to extreme torture and physical abuse by a group of local perverts. Assuming her dead, the assaulters eventually get back on with their lives. However, the girl survives and is on a mission to pay them back tenfold.   

You might have heard the phrase ‘Revenge is sweet’; in this film you feel it in your bones through the protagonist and a brilliant screenplay/direction. There is enough gore/bloodshed to keep you either glued in, or steer clear of it altogether.  

7.5/10

Flesh+Blood (1985)

Director: Paul Verhoeven
Cast: Rutger Hauer, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tom Burlinson, Jack Thompson, Fernando Hilbeck
Genre: Medieval Fantasy

Plot: A medieval saga of a band of mercenaries who are pledged to exact revenge on an Italian noble lord who doesn’t live up to his promise.

Flesh+Blood is set in early 1500s when Black Death has just begun spreading its claws in Italy. There is no law and order left in the country side—murder, rape, and loot are common occurrence.

An Italian noble Arnolfini (Fernando Hilbeck) hires a band of mercenaries and farmers-turned-soldier to win back his city lost to a coup, while away. Arnofilni promises the mercenaries a day's plunder in the city but once victorious he makes his commander-in-chief Hawkwood (Jack Thompson) drive them out of the city without food, water, or weapons.

Mercenaries have no shelter and are devastated. Their leader Martin (Rutger Hauer)–a brave, carefree and eccentric man soon loses his infant son too. While digging the grave for his dead son, Martin unearths a wooden statue of Saint Martin of Tours–a saint with a sword. The mercenaries’ priest proclaims it as a sign from God and Martin takes up the sword to lead them.

They soon kidnap Agnes (Jennifer Jason Leigh), the virgin betrothed of the Arnofilni’s son Steven (Tom Burlinson). To avoid gang-rape, Agnes initially fakes love for Martin and uses her—recently come to fore—sexuality to manipulate him but soon falls for him.

Arnofilni was fatally wounded by mercenaries and Hawkwood has retired. Steven—highly intellectual but not a soldier—enforces Hawkwood to come out of retirement. Together they siege the castle mercenaries are using as a hideout. During the siege Hawkwood is infected by the bubonic plague—the Black Death and Steven has been captured by mercenaries. Hawkwood uses an unorthodox medical technique, mentioned by Steven, to cure himself. Once fit, he decides to bring in more troops but flings pieces of a diseased dog into the castle before leaving.

Steven flings one piece to water well and Agnes sees him doing so. She decides to keep it to herself as she still loves Steven. At breakfast most of the mercenaries are soon infected by poisoned water, though when Martin attempts to drink; Agnes slaps the cup away from his hands.

Now mercenaries are dying and fleeing the castle. Soon Hawkwood and Arnolfini, who has recovered from his wound, return with an army to enrage the castle. Agnes and Steven leave the castle and some of the surviving mercenaries pledge fealty to Arnofilni.

Martin is assumed dead, Agnes and Steven are hugging each other; at the same time Agnes notices Martin slipping out of the castle with some plunder in his sack, which she keeps mum about.

Acting is not a strong point of the movie, it is rather mediocre. But it is very much possible director wanted it to be so, as there is much focus on skin and gore.

The strong points of the movie are its blackish humor and young Jennifer Jason Leigh – who manages to look pretty, and at the same time hell-bent sexy! Take her out and movie goes kaput. There is plenty of blood-gore and full-frontal nudity which blends in well with the scenario and is done artistically, well...more like need of the hour!

A must watch if you enjoy a middle age saga.

7.0/10

Sin City (2005)

Director - Robert Rodriguez, Frank Miller, Quentin Tarantino

Genre: Action/Crime

A film noir based on Frank Miller's graphic novel series by the same name.

 

After the third RoboCop film bombed at the box office, Miller was adamant about letting anyone direct a movie based on his stories without his assistance, fearing a similar result.

So, Rodriguez eager to direct it filmed a test scene which later became the opening scene as well. He even gave credit to other directors for direction.

Movie shows three of Miller's Sin City adaptations:

• The Hard Goodbye: About an ugly brute(Mickey Rourke) out to avenge death of his one night stand love.
• The Big Fat Kill: Which focuses on a street war and treaty between a group of prostitutes and police.
• That Yellow Bastard: Shows Bruce Willis as an aging police officer who protects a young woman Nancy Callaghan from a pedophile,serial killer(Nick Stahl) and later saves adult Nancy(Alba)from Yellow Bastard.

Cinematography is classy, unique, and retains the dark look of the original novel. Most of the film is in black and white with highlighted coloring for select objects. Film was digitally treated for heightened contrast so as to more clearly separate blacks and whites. This was done not only to give a more noir look, but also to make it appear more like the original comic.

Sin City is a genius movie with an awesomely huge star cast; a rare combination. The movie stars Bruce Willis, Alexis Bledel, Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Clive Owen, Michael Clarke Duncan, Rosario Dawson, Benicio del Toro, Michael Madsen, Nick Stahl, Powers Boothe, Josh Hartnett, Jaime King, Brittany Murphy, Elijah Wood and Rutger Hauer

A strong-point of the film was writer being a director too; therefore, every fictional character can be experienced so intimately by viewers. Especially Marv (Mickey Rourke) as a bit insane but morally sound brute on medication and payroll under drop-dead gorgeous lesbian payroll officer Lucille (Carla Gugino).

Kudos to other directors, Robert Rodriguez, and master Tarantino for getting the hang of the graphic novel so artistically well. Tarantino was "Special Guest Director" for directing the car sequence between Clive Owen and Benicio del Toro.

Bruce Willis has always been one of the top notch kick-ass Hollywood macho man but here Mickey Rourke has toppled him by an inch or two.

Something like never before and yet to be bettered!

8.5/10