Morlang

I thought this movie was fabulous. Several reasons:

I didn't recognize any of the actors; didn't matter. They were superb on every level. The characters are dynamic (meaning: they grow and change somewhat throughout the movie as the story progresses) and their behavior and motivations well-supported by the course of the narrative.

As for the plot: The plot twists are both surprising and the turns and twists are revealed to the viewer at the most opportune moment. Contrary to some movies, where the big revelation is deflating, MORLANG only gets better as it reveals the little secrets. The way the plot unfolds, the movie becomes more and more engaging as the viewer begins to understand what has happened.

Nothing is lacking, and the conclusion is satisfying and fulfilling. Bear in mind that the film is based on actual events, and this movie's impact is multiplied.

I saw this expertly crafted film at the Tribeca Film Festival. The audience was visibly buzzing when the credits started rolling. I heard it's finally coming out on DVD and theaters!

Much respect to the director and his sharp directing skills. His use of flashbacks as a deft narrative device works for this particular story about love and betrayal; he also uses it to create a layered character study. Paul Freeman was brilliant and the rest of the cast perfect for their respective roles.

Morlang annoyed me. I really looked forward to watching it. Technically, it is excellent. Morlang is well acted and well directed and I wanted to watch the movie to its end. However, as I watched Morlang, I kept thinking, "This should be a really good movie, but it isn't". I'm still not sure why I didn't feel it was a good movie. Perhaps it is because I "read" Morlang correctly from the beginning so that the ending was no suprise at all? But whatever the reason, I felt that Morlang should have been an exceptional movie, but fell far short.

This film is set on the high end of the European art world. It's a story of an artist's obsession for his wife and jealousy of a rising young artist. These two forces are what motivate Morlang to do everything he does in this film. I also question the motives of the young rising artist. This film just confirms that even though man is the most intelligent animal on the planet, he's still an animal. I can't say much more without giving it away. The cinematography was perfect; great angles, telling the story without words. I'm glad Film Movement brought this movie to the U.S.. It would've been a shame if this film went by unnoticed.

This Dutch film was made mostly in Ireland--an interesting pedigree for a film! This is a very strange film for American audiences because the style is so alien compared to Hollywood's fare. Instead of starting with a bang like most films, this one very slowly unfolds--giving you more and more insight into the characters and plot over the course of the film. Unfortunately, people who expect to see lots of action or plot early on might be tempted to turn off the film. I must admit that I was a bit irritated because a half hour into the movie I still didn't see where this film was headed. However, in hindsight, this is the beauty of MORLANG. Its slow and artistically handled script worked well once I let go of my need for immediate clarity.

The title character, Morlang, is a famous modern artist whose life seems rather ideal at first. He is successful, has a lovely young girlfriend (or bride--they never made this clear) and lives in a nice home along the cliffs of the Irish coast. However, into his almost ideal world come bizarre and cryptic messages from an unknown person. These messages concern the death of his wife and at first the work seem like that of a mad man or person who is just a jerk. However, why he is being stalked and persecuted is slowly revealed--showing that there is far more to the story than just some bizarre fan harassing him. This led to many unexpected twists and turns that kept me guessing--something that doesn't happen enough in films. As a result, the plot seems more intellectually stimulating and fascinating than anything else. While I could tell you a lot more about the plot, I won't, as it might spoil your viewing.

By the way, I really liked some of Morlang's art. I don't know who really did the pieces, but some of his canvases were really exceptional--particularly the nude self-portrait. Because we got to see Morlang work during the film, the movie reminded me a bit of the amazing Alec Guinness classic, THE HORSE'S MOUTH--though in most other ways, these are very, very different films.

Also, parents be forewarned--the subject matter gets very adult AND there's some graphic male nudity. It was appropriate to the film, so it wasn't necessarily objectionable--but I doubt if most parents want their kids seeing frontal nudity of old men.