M.F.A.

I see there are a lot of mixed feelings about M.F.A. It will for sure not win any awards but it's still good enough to entertain you on a cold winter night. The story might not be overly developped but it's easy to understand and to watch. Not really a revenge movie, more a vigilante movie of a rape victim taking justice in her own hands. Francesca Eastwood did a good job playing her character. The rest of the cast wasn't bad either, nothing great, but not bad either. I would have made the killing scenes a bit bloodier and more sadistic to make it a better horror movie. I think that would have been better for the movie and this genre of movie. All in all it's an okay movie if you don't have too much expectations.

Take on the very serious problem ...not enough realism to make it really worthy of the problem discussed and not enough violence to make it a satisfactory revenge film. It's like director just touched the surface of a very deep and dirty pond , without making a real splash , to wake up audience .

"I spit on your grave" , it is not ...

Good ideas, sometimes bad and laughable execution, not realistic at all. A great performance save it from being an entirely bad film, but it's not very compelling either.

Noelle (Francesca Eastwood) is studying painting at a Californian college for her MFA. She is invited to a party by hunky classmate Luke. They make out but the sex turns rough. She tries to stop but is overpowered by him. Her neighbor Skye counsels letting it go as she had done with her own rape. Noelle decides to report to the school therapist but her questioning is accusatory. She joins a help group but the girls are ineffectual. She confronts Luke and accidentally kills him. She decides to turn into a vigilante. Police detective Kennedy (Clifton Collins Jr.) investigates.

Clint's daughter Francesca Eastwood is an interesting new actress. She hasn't broken through yet but she has the charisma to get noticed. She has a nice dark side and does damaged well. The writing is a little pedestrian but it generally works. More needs to be given to Clifton Collins Jr. His is the key for tension and drama but he isn't given the needed material. Generally, this is fine but it doesn't really push the envelope.

I love a good revenge story, and MFA hit the mark for me. The rape scene was certainly not an easy watch. It seemed real and felt right in the scene - I felt uncomfortable in the moment. The cinematography was beautiful throughout the film and it made me want to check out more of Kovalchik's work. I loved the tracking shot when Eastwood was walking thru the locker room to the showers. The whole movie was done really well. Eastwood's acting was great. I wish the ending was different and she was able to get away with what she was fighting for, but I get it. I definitely recommend this film!

PS - I thought it was creepy, especially for the theme of the movie for Collins Jr being the detective trying to bring Eastwood down. They are married in real life with over a 20 year age difference. I thought it was weird. But it's Hollywood for ya eh....