hannibal_tot Reviews

Contesta (2005)

A good start

[10/10 · 30 July 2006]

This is a short film shot by young students with no real funding. Nevertheless, creativity and dynamic visuals can't be bought by money.

The acting is good, Jorge Jauregui shows he's been out there acting for a while; Jesus Abugaber does a fine job, although his screen time is less than short.

The story is quite simple: David gets four different phone calls that change his life forever. It has no real depth but maybe you don't need it in this kind of stories. Dialogue is a device for the characters to speak themselves, but the story is more visual.

For a short film it has many setups. A real plan must be its backup, for the cinematography is nice and fluent.

Sound wasn't that good though. Even if it is real, you don't get so many crickets at dawn. Better work next time.

I saw this at a Film Festival in Mexico. It was a part of the local selection and lost to a really bad film about two really bad looking lesbian women making out. I wonder who was part of the jury for they care not for good film making. Most of the time the picture was out of focus for no reason. "Contesta" was superior and ignored. Pity for the filmmakers behind it.

Renaissance (2006)

Great Animation!!!

[10/10 · 27 July 2006]

I just went to a screening of the film during Expresion en Corto, a short film festival in Guanajuato, Mexico. One of the producers was there and gave a brief introduction. The Film rolled and from the first shot I was amazed: one long continuous shot of a futuristic Paris in glorious black and white.

I shouldn't go on with the details 'cause I think it is a film worth seeing. The sci-fi story might be found average for many... to me was really good. The action is great, the camera is free to fly everywhere and I mean everywhere. Things you would not be able to do or see is accomplished beautifully. The cast performance is good, in my opinion no one hits the wrong note.

Now, the thing that I found awesome is the animation. 3D grafics look 2D. A BW comic book brought to life. The details on the backgrounds gives more texture as if it had been done by hand (I'm sure it was but when the angles change you see the depth).

The producer at the screening talked about the hard work behind the film: 7 years! The director, she said, is brilliant, but perhaps he was quite unexperienced since he only had one short film in his CV. So, many people had true faith in them. They started their own studio from scratch and ever since they faced the challenge they brought upon them.

Don't miss it. I think you won't regret it... maybe Richard Linklater for the final look of this film is superior to his I think.