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Directed by Alexandre Franchi Starring Ricky Mabe, Mark Antony Kupra, Trevor Hayes, Kaniehtiio Horn Trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WENre45f13c Alexandre Franchi's debut film is about a LARP that turns violent. For anyone who doesn't know, Live Action Role Playing involves people physically dressing as and acting like their characters, fighting with foam weapons and overseen by referees. The concept works well with Franchi's budget; the film cost only $500,000 to produce but at no point does the film feel that it was limited by this. The Wild Hunt could easily have been a geek comedy, chasing easy laughs at the expense of the nerd dressed as an orc, but it doesn't. The LARPers are actually a decent enough group, mostly attractive and more interested in drinking and flirting than their magic levels. The roleplaying aspect feels almost ancillary to the plot; this film is far more about the people than the characters they pretend to be. The protagonist Eric is genuinely likeable, with a difficult home life that has driven his brother and girlfriend to escapism every weekend at the LARP ground, a full medieval town in a remote forest. The characters feel real and there are no easy resolutions or neat definitions for them. What made The Wild Hunt special for me was the constant sense of unease. The viewer is never sure how in-character a particular person is at any time, and so the confrontations feel unpredictable. Eric's brother is entirely caught up in his viking persona, his girlfriend is torn between her feelings for him and the depression of their life together. The few moments of levity, where side-characters slip into modern speech, are much needed. The frustration Eric feels trying to get past the bullshit is palpable and gives a real sense of loneliness and isolation to the film. When the long-awaited violent climax comes it is brutal and tragic, and the blurred boundaries between escapism and reality feels genuinely unsettling. Most critical opinion of the film has been either hyperbolic (calling it 'Tarantino-esque' is a stretch) or just inane (dismissing it as a morality tale about the beastliness of man beneath the veneer of civilisation). The film is what it is, and to me it never had any pretensions of being anything more than a moody drama about obsession. The film is far from perfect; it is dull at times and has very few stand out moments that the viewer will remember. But the plot is character driven, the cinematography is good and the direction is uncompromising. More than anything the film has heart and is worth taking the time to watch. TJO fucked around with this message at 22:56 on Sep 22, 2010 |
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Sep 20, 2010 21:52
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| # ? Apr 26, 2024 03:43 |
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