Ellektra

This movie moved me on different levels. The rawness of life, the traumas the caracters have, even before the dramatic events in the movie happening to them, are confrontational. Without really explaining or saying much, they are visible in the images, the actions and expressions of every caracter. The actors did an amazing job, On the other hand, I love the surrealistic level in the storylines. It makes this movie very different from any other movie I have seen. I also loved the end, in which everything takes a surprising turn for every caracter, and the fact that that happens because they complement each other. The music is graet, the visuals are strong. All the above makes watching this movie a touching and inspirational experience.

I wanted to see this one, because I was curious to see Axelle Red in a movie. I didn't know much more about this movie. She didn't have the main role after all. The movie was not disappointing, but maybe a bit superficial. I think it was quit original, the script. In the beginning you don't know anything about "Ellektra". Step by step... you start to realize that the whole movie is about "life" and it 's disappointments. When I saw it I recognized some typical themes (used more often in Belgian movies): the drug problems, the corruption, the depressions, a fighting family over custody, ... . Everything is seen from a pessimistic perspective, but in the end there is always a certain "light"... I liked the colors and the purity of the images, for example the cold blue bath room and living room, the deep green of the house with the plants, the red and black that surrounds the striptease-girl with her pale skin, the black of the musicians (pianist and DJ), the white hair of the DJ 's girlfriend ... The girl with the blue hair is great, she made me think about someone who doesn't fit in the whole...People are after her, but it seems like she has a lot more power and insight in life than the loser who wants to get her. There is a lot of strength and courage in the movie... people with dreams of making music, being an actress, becoming a pilot. Eventually these dreams become "realized" in a way, that is maybe even more worth the living... Living your life becomes more intense if you cannot realize your highest goals. If you not make an end to it, you (have to) start to compensate and to realize that to be lucky you don't have to go beyond your powers... The movie is full of circles... one big circle and many little things that happen to people and then to others...

For those who've seen the directors shorts the camera style and editing look familiar. The movie shows some really impressive locations, mostly within Brussels. The story evolves around a several characters who each run into (very) bad luck but at the end of the movie the pieces come together around the same set of 'symbols', similar to the 'frogs' in Magnolia. Some of the editing reminds me of Aronofsky, I suspect the director likes his movies too. There's some really good acting, some of it is not. As usual with small budget movies not all of the actors are of the same level of proficiency. Matthias Schoenaerts is once again very good, just like he was in Any Way the Wind Blows, and so is the big bald guy who lives is this weed-filled room. The photography is marvelous and the reason to see it.

While the central plot of Ellektra is not unique, the full context of the film was astonishing.

I give this film a 10 for technique. The visual style was compelling and challenging - and combined with the ambitiousness of the story (many different characters) it required some effort to keep track of what was going on in the first few minutes. But once the film had introduced all the characters, it settled in and it flowed readily.

Gert Portael as 'Sam' turns in a remarkable performance. She makes you believe that she is a woman in pain. She was completely *real* here - not some Hollywood bimbo with a little makeup to make her look like an addict. From her first frame you see a lifetime of agony on her face. A *great* choice.

There are many other fine performances - I connected with all the characters which makes the first third of the film hard to bear, but also makes the payoff at the end of the movie work. And this is a difficult film. There are a few moments of intense violence - and in each I cared about what was happening, as compared to victims in movies like Reservoir Dogs who suffer excruciating violence but which generated no emotion for me (other than disgust).

I was at max adrenaline through the whole thing - for me, this was one of those beautiful moments of cinema. I can't wait to see "Ellektra" again.

In his first long feature, Rudolph Mestdagh proves once again he has an eye for brilliant shots. However, the story, another Altman-Short cuts wannabe story, goes nowhere. Most of the characters are very superficial and too weird.

Some characters are obviously very cliché bad guys like in a bad French police movie ( for example Aimé and the pimp with the beard are very annoying ). Some very nice images of Brussels save the movie. Mestdagh should consider filming a good book for his next movie. Mestdagh certainly has talent as a filmmaker, but writing

good scripts is something else.