Mandy (2018) Review

Soaked in a pool of 80's atmospheric synth, Panos Cosmatos's Mandy is an awe-inspired genre bending horror that's not for the faint of heart. With it's over the top performance from Nicholas Cage, and it's unique directing style, it's easy to see why this film has gotten such a cult following in the festival circuit already. Mandy, is an intricate simple film, that relies more on aesthetic than an actual plot. Although, there is a semi-decent revenge plot in the mix, the film took a much more intriguing direction to it's material in a way that occasionally worked successfully.

Mandy is a film that's void of purpose. There isn't a single moment in the film, where we should care about the characters. However, this was never Panos's direction in the first place. You see, Mandy is an experimental film more than anything else. Similar to Nicholas Winding Refn's Divisive 2013 flick "Only God Forgives", both films used extreme usages of lighting and production design to tell a story. While Only God Forgives fails in developing tension, there's something so refreshing in Cosmato's direction, that makes Mandy special. The extreme close ups into the character's eyes and expressions, the brutal over the top violence, and the eargasmic score composed by the late Jóhann Jóhannsson, are all factors that make Mandy a cinematic treasure. It's rare nowadays to see a film that takes so many interesting risks.

The only downside of Mandy is it's self. It's unfortunate to say, that although Mandy is a rare feat in modern cinema, my main problem was due to how full of itself the film was. It lacked self-awareness in several scenes. to the point where the whole product felt like a pretentious passion project.

Don't threat however. Mandy is still filled with great concepts here and there. It just needs a bit more work for it to be called great. I had a lot of fun with this film. It's a unique joyride of sorts that experiments with it's genre and aesthetic, which eventually goes a bit overboard. Plenty will enjoy this film, and as for now, I'm pleased with the final product.

Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda-Film Review

 Around two years ago, I needed to do some research on Ryuichi Sakamoto relating to a social justice issue for an English report. His work with environmental issue's and stability dumbfounded my personal beliefs. Sakamoto is a hero of sorts. He's a person that understands wide spread issue's across his community, and is one to be committed to a long term goal. He's a role model of sorts, who is deeply overshadowed by other environmental advisers such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Al Gore. I'm glad to say however, that Coda finally gives light to this wonderful role model, while thankfully,  never feeling over sentimental on the subject at hand.

Coda is a film that takes it's time. It develops tension and mystery in the most uncommon places, creating an atmosphere which feels intimate and personal. Seeing Sakamoto's creative process on film is simply astonishing, and the way which director Stephen Nomura Schible composed said sequences, feels like a perfectly executed masterclass. Coda is a film which understands it's subject, and instead of imitating countless other documentaries, it instead's creates it's own freelance format through the power of storytelling.

However, it's unfortunate to say, while Coda is frequently on tempo, and moves at a brisk speed, the overall focus feels way to off key. There's so much material in this film that makes the end product feel both overwhelming and unfocused. It's hard to pin point what this film is really about.

Is it about Sakamoto's Cancer Experience?
Is it about Sakamoto's Previous Work With Film?
Is it about Sakamoto's influences?
Is it about Sakamoto's new composition work?
Is it about Sakamoto's Environmental Activism?

Coda attempts to answer all these questions, but instead feels half-baked when the credit's role. The lack of focus makes the film feel a bit overwhelming and emotionally hollow by the time the credit's role. It's a real shame to. All this film needed was a bit of trimming, and we could have had a priceless documentary on our hands.

Coda is a pretty good effort from new-comer Stephen Nomura Schible. He understands the documentary medium and puts great admiration towards his subject's. Coda, while a bit out of tuned, still manages to impress and give tribute to one of  best composers living today. Sakamoto will never be forgotten, and his work will live on forever, no matter how obscure or random his sounds can be.

Rating: 7.5/10