After being an #IMDB member for over six years I suddenly chose to write a review of a movie tonight (mostly for practice), yet the sight wouldn't allow me to do that, so I'm forced to practice here.
Tonight I saw "Mohawk" for no apparent reason, I simply watch a lot of movies while I work. Obviously I'm pretty lucky to have a job that allows me to do that while I fulfill my responsibilities.
I gave this flick four stars out of ten, and I'd like to explain every star.
The first star was for Karim Hussain for cinematography. That dude is doing a fine job. He caught my eye with "Hobo with a Shotgun" at first, but later with "Free fire" by Ben Wheatley. He had an opportunity to do some fun shots in a forest in "Mohawk" and he definitely took advantage of those. Of course, he had very little to work with - this isn't a very good movie - yet even in this situation his work at times shines.
The next two stars go to Ezra Buzzington. This guy is slowly reaching that dubious status of "I don't know this guy's name, but I've seen him somewhere". There is a bunch of bit roles on his resume, notably "Fight Club" and "The Hills Have Eyes", so he could've been a bit of a princess and simply sleepwalked through this movie. Yet this guy did his job so well that I'll always remember him now. He had nothing to work with but chose to try to make something out of that.
A special mention goes to Eamon Farren that some might remember from the latest incarnation of "Twin Peaks" (he played the son of evil Coop). Granted, he doesn't do anything memorable in this particular role. However he is portraying a fairly positive character, yet I couldn't help myself but dislike him the whole time, since his role in "Twin Peaks" was so good that now he is forever that evil shitbird from David Lynch's multiverse. Kudos for that.
The final star goes to the director - Ted Geoghegan. Apparently he's made another movie before - We Are Still Here - but I hadn't seen it. I did just watch "Mohawk" though, and this one is a good lesson on how not to make movies. Mr. Geoghegan also wrote the screenplay and that's where most of my dissatisfaction starts. This is a story that doesn't really give us any human connection, nor does it provide any food for thought. In a case like this the audience should expect some action or horror, yet there is almost none of that. The whole thing is entirely ludicrous, and the closer we get to the conclusion the more ridiculous it becomes.
So why give the star to the director? I surely understand how hard it is to get a project from point A to point Z. I barely manage to draw a six page comic at times. And the director's effort is seen in this movie. Not to mention how ambitious this project is for an indie filmmaker. This dude is definitely going to make more movies, and some of them will be good.
To sum it up - don't waste your time on "Mohawk" unless you are an aspiring director. But if you do - look for the good stuff and chose to ignore the sloppiness. This isn't a big production and deserves respect for what it is.
