| REVIEW: BROKEN (short film) |
[Jul. 31st, 2005|06:36 am] |
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Every so often I get somebody wanting to send me a screener of a movie
they made. I always find myself a bit leery because I’m pretty much a
bad movie aficionado (a fact they must be aware of by now) so either
they’re wanting to send me something even worse than what I usually
subject myself to or they take my film criticism more seriously than I
or anyone else ever should. Back in May, I got an email from a guy
wanting me to take a look at a short film he made called BROKEN.
Some of you may have already heard about this short by now since it has
gotten quite a bit of buzz on the net. I can see why. Someone actually
sent me something genuinely good to watch for a change. If you haven’t
heard about this short yet, you’re about to.
BROKEN focuses on a seemingly ordinary young woman with a good
job, a good relationship, etc. Everything comes crashing down when
she’s abducted from her home and awakens to find herself in an unknown
location, strapped to a wheelchair, and surrounded by a scar-faced man
and his cadre of armed henchmen, each distinct in their own way. The
scar-faced man, played with a terrific mix of flamboyance and menace,
begins quizzing her about what she remembers, taunting her about being
somehow broken, and threatening to kill her if she doesn’t begin
telling him what he wants to know. She claims to have no idea what he’s
talking about but it becomes quite apparent to everyone except her that
there is far more to her than meets the eye. All the while, a
mysterious, heavily armed masked man is in the process of staging a
rescue.
To say anymore would be saying too much. Even at a mere 20
minutes in length BROKEN still manages to tell a heck of a little tale
with several twists and turns. To be honest, I was a little annoyed by
the film’s final twist ending, more of a cliffhanger really, although
I’m still not sure if I was more annoyed by the way it played out or by
the open-ended nature of it. It doesn’t answer all the questions and it
left me wanting more. In this case, that’s a good thing.
The real story to BROKEN is that it was made for a mere $8,000.
Writer/Director Alex Ferrari and Writer/Producer Jorge Flores Rodriguez
have pulled off a 20-minute sci-fi action thriller with 120 f/x shots
for only $8,000 and it looks as professional as any motion picture
you’ll find in theaters today. The best way I could summarize the film
would be say it has all the aesthetics of a Twilight Zone episode mixed
with the sensibilities of a video game and the visual feel of films
like SAW and SEVEN. I know making even making a short film is hard
enough work but these two have managed to pull off something really
special.
I asked Alex Ferrari if he and his partner intended BROKEN
to serve as a calling card to get financing for a feature length
version or to simply get the attention of Hollywood by showing what
they can do with so little. He told me either one was fine by him.
Either one is fine by me too. I understand a possible full-length
BROKEN movie may be in the works. I just hope they make sure to get the
same actor back for the villain.+++
In the meantime, a DVD release of the short is now available with
nearly 3+ hours of extras. Yes, three hours worth of extras for a
20-minute short film. Hey, I liked it and all but that’s just a tad on
the excessive side. Nonetheless, you can order the DVD, find out more
about the production, and view the trailer for BROKEN at the official
website by clicking HERE. |
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