Master of the Game

I just recently saw Master of the Game, and I was very impressed. I really enjoy a movie that makes me think - and assumes I'm smart to begin with - and this movie did just that. I was totally taken in by the psychological manipulations so subtly carried out by the main character, a Jewish American known only as his tattooed number, 3264.

The movie has great rhythm and slowly and methodically draws the audience member into its mental web. I found myself silently cheering on 3264 as he reduced his captors to mush. The acting in this movie is spot on as is the direction. Although I've never heard of the director until now, I'm certain we'll be seeing more from him. He handles some very tough- to-watch scenes with great sensitivity. And although some will find this movie to be very violent, the violence befits the subject matter, and the movie would certainly suffer without it. To be honest, quite a bit of the violence is inferred, not shown, which is quite a bit more effective.

This is a smart, conversation-provoking film. I would highly recommend it. I'm not sure how long it's playing in Manhattan, but if you have a few free hours, definitely give it a look.

Psychological thriller set in WWII. Totally engrossing roller coaster of a film. The tight pacing and amazing acting kept me on board the whole time. A few scenes not for the squeamish. They didn't hold back on the brutality of the film. That's what made the "game" so interesting. Every character's life depends on it. The script and direction obviously handled with great care. Definitely look for this one.

Decided to see this at the last minute at San Diego Film Fest. So glad I did. The story is a mind bending thriller that kept me glued to my chair. Well acted, beautifully directed and amazingly written.

The story concerns a Jewish prisoner in WWII that escapes the hands of the Germans while in transit to a concentration camp, only to be trapped in an isolated cabin with four German soldiers.

The soldiers torture and keep him alive for their amusement. Before things get worse the prisoner challenges these soldiers to a bizarre mind game. Once the game begins it becomes one of the greatest mind trips I've ever seen. A must see indie flick.

I felt I had to write a review to counter the exorbitantly excessive other reviews on this site that spurred me to see this movie in the first place. Most people will not find this movie a "thriller", an "intriguing journey", "ingenious", or "riveting". I think most people would find this movie boring and ridiculous.

It starts out with a promising premise: in trying to escape, a Jewish concentration camp prisoner ironically comes upon an abandoned camp in the woods that just happens to be housing a group of Nazi soldiers isolated by the inclement weather. In order to delay his execution, he proposes playing a mind game, which the bored soldiers agree to. It's from here that the story falls apart. I won't go into details, but suffice it to say that although the "game" is set up to be a clever psychological ploy, it ends up falling flat, playing out like a staged play, with the behavior and reactions of the soldiers utterly scripted and unrealistic. Holes like Swiss cheese - you know the drill. Don't bother.

I had the pleasure of meeting Jeff Stolhand at the Austin Film Festival a few years ago after the screening of his first feature film, "Seeking Cafe Bob". It was a delightful film that ended up winning the Best Screenplay/Best Film Award. Since then I have followed Stolhand's progression as a filmmaker from "What I Like About You," which had a successful screening at Slamdance, to his most recent feature, "Master of the Game".

Despite the cleverness and freshness of Stolhand's previous two films, I was not prepared for the most compelling film that I have seen this year. "Master of the Game" is a delightful display - beautifully shot, powerfully acted, and has the wit and clandestine plot of a David Mamet thriller. Shot on the new HD 24P camera that filmmakers like Robert Rodriguez and George Lucas are now using, the interior shots have the warmth of film.

I do not want to give away any of the plot, so I will not specify any scenes, but Uygar Aktan's script is almost poetic in its narrative - a script that an actor would have to love, with longer prose and emotion found only in laudable play adaptations like "Twelve Angry Men" or "Inherit the Wind" - great films that are all but extinct in today's fast paced genres. And the actors chew the scenery with magnificent adeptness and emotion, giving wonderfully nuanced performances. Prince, in particular, conveys a calculated coldness that is reminiscent of Ralph Fiennes in "Schindler's List".

But the consummate genius has to be Stolhand's interpretation of the material. Stolhand capitalizes on the intimacy and claustrophobia of the situations without letting the prose feel stagnant. His shots and camera angles are inventive without distracting from the characters. And the overall presentation has a big-budget look and feel. I look forward to following his promising career and would love to see what he is capable of producing with a multimillion dollar budget.