samz_wilson

Penned as the next City of God/ Amores Perros/ Y Tu Mama Tambien simply because it is the next good film to come out of South America, is to be expected. However, Lower City doesn't quite live up to its comparative brothers but does manage to create a feel of its own. I empathised with each of the characters and felt they were played brilliantly by the actors involved. There was a real sense of passion with the helplessness of the poverty/ crime lifestyle they find themselves in.

One problem with the narrative that I felt was the rather instant impact the female love interest has on this supposed solid friendship. The film doesn't really know what it wants to express: is it an incite into the underbelly of south American society or an erotic platform for the characters and their drama. The pace dips in the middle but the end delivers excitement and resolution.

As a whole, I enjoyed this film but was far from blown away

Well, I've never seen anything quite like it before and I doubt I will ever again. Not being familiar with the Carmen story, it was interesting to watch the plot develop. I'm not sure if you are supposed to like any of the characters in Carmen because you certainly find it a challenge in this picture. Our protagonist seems a strong, gutsy woman but is ultimately doomed to the tragedy of the typical opera. Our male love interest is a comical cardigan-wearing wimp of a man who finds it hard to attract any empathy. The film-making is shoddy, with an obviously miniscule budget, certain scenes are not clear at all and some of the lyrics are extremely repetitive.

On the plus side this film gives an inside view of shanty town South Africa, always feeling authentic, the film was clearly made by people who understand the culture.

All in all the two hours were spent opening my eyes to a very different and interesting adaptation.

Wow, what exciting visual effects. I also loved the costumes and artwork, the circus and ethereal feel to the film was sublime. It just required the need for the viewer to worry about the fate of our protagonist. As she is trapped in her imagination, there is never a sense of peril unlike, say, David Lynch's films which haunt every time. This also draws attention to which age group this film is aimed at. Who would this engage?

Mirrormask is obviously going to draw comparisons with Labyrinth with the teen- angst/ fantasy theme, but unfortunately it doesn't really come close to delivering the same Henson essence. The ill mother theme is never fully explained and certainly not something that you care about while lapping up the eye candy.

Not agonisingly awful a la The Cell, nor as engagingly dreamlike as Labyrinth - a forgettable but good-looking fantasy.