O Velho e a Espada

When I read the synopsis & saw the trailer, I knew I had to see it. Although sold-out at the Montreal Fantasia Film Festival, I hung around at the door until screening time in case I'd get lucky, even though I had a sentimental alternative ("Death Match", by the progenitors of "Wolf-Cop" I & II) still available but held out due to a gut-feeling.

The special effects are not only good but funny & interesting ( Some good-great sword slashes on the "Fears", the flying-creature attack sequence on the motorcycle-rider, single combat with a soul-sucking i-phone, the beast coming down the wall in the mass monster night attack in the village...

New & sympathetic interpretations on stock characters: Are demons necessarily evil or can they change? Does the frumpy priest actually have at heart the best interests of his parishioners? Is the hero necessarily young & dashing with rippling muscles?

Quixotic appearances of elder Portuguese T. V. stars, notably a ventriloquist act woven into the story & a ghost's soulful soliloquy commented on by the Demon-Sword.

Frequent & interesting exchanges between the village drunk & his demonic weapon, a curiously likeable demon once freed from its' sword, hilarious variety in creatures & a twist ending,

Been going regularly (& intensively) to the Fantasia Film Festivsl since at least 2009 & I've just had 1 other unknown film previously that I had to see based only on a trailer ("Dead Snow").

Seen a variety of brilliant but far more expensive pictures in the Festival so far but "Velho e a espada" punches above its' weight & wins in the audience sympathy vote.

Remarkable for a picture using many non-professional actors, a story sometimes fashioned by the difficulties & brevity of the shoot, one wonders what these creators on a no-budget production, will do with greater resources & backing...

Have the feeling this started with a visual effects guy with spare time, wacky ideas and no budget wanting to work on something fun. The result is a glorified student fantasy film that embraces silliness in the best way.

It's clear the main actor (and perhaps all the others) has zero acting experience and I dig what they are doing here. But because of that, the jokes delivery, the visual gags and the existencial dialogue ramblings (and there's a lot of that) are a hit-and-miss.

But hey: this is probably the first dark fantasy film ever made in Portugal. And that's an achievement we cannot ignore!