Do Elephants Pray?

Do Elephants Pray is a wonderfully mastered Indie Film. With great contrast of natural and urban settings as well as corporate themes being derailed by more organic themes, this movie has it all. The intensity of the journey of the main character (played by Jonnie Hurn) and the lighthearted banter of Julie Dray's character provide a nice contrast with the corporate world that Marc Warren and the office staff provide to the story. Jonnie is a believable stodgy Englishman that meets the colorful character Malika (Julie Dray) and follows her into the unknown and into the next incarnation of his life through intense physical and witty conversational moments. Malika appears to be other worldly in her infinite wisdom of life.

The crowds in the festival I viewed this had many laughs, a few ah ha moments, and great questions at the question and answer session for Paul Hills. The soundtrack is another one of the nice details that help keep this movie connected to the audience and to the story. Well done, I saw it twice during the festival and would love to see it again.

I was drawn to this film by its captivating title, expecting some religious undertone message but instead I was pleasantly surprised to watch a warm and funny movie.

Julie Dray's performance was a joy to watch, she is an absolute delight on the screen and a pure natural. Its as though her character was specifically written for her. I have a feeling we will be seeing a lot more of her in the future.

It's a beautifully shot film which left me yearning to just switch of my computer, shut my office door and take off into a forest.

Recommended.

I'm a sucker for films that defy categorisation, and this film certainly does that. It's a beautifully crafted British indie that favours story over convention. That said, the story is an archetypal journey: man leaves his hollow life, goes on a journey, and comes back full.

The cinematography is simple and beautiful, with the scenes in the French forest suitably magical. The performances are a curious blend between understated and outrageous. Great support from Marc Warren (to be expected) and John Last (who holds his own spectacularly next to Warren).

The film is bold in that the lead, Callum, isn't the most affable of protagonists, and his co- lead is quite irritating as a character. But she is HIS foil, not ours, and this is where the story wins over and doesn't fall into giving the audience stereotypes that we can all swoon over. It also makes Callum's reluctance to continue the journey all the more real.

It's a magical story that could easily make it a chick-flick, but doesn't (largely because of the brash masculinity and language of the male supports!) - this is a film that you need to see open minded, and without preconception. Then it is provocative and rewarding.

I hear it's been picking up festival wins, and it deserves every one. Can't wait to see it on general release.

I wont go into the plot in other than to say that this is a boring idea with the main lead man who was actually the writer and director and producer and stars in it... yeah you get it, vanity publishing at its best. The DVD wouldn't play in my machine or PC properly because the disk was badly authored. I had to rip the files to my PC and watch the files of the final 5 minutes on a media player! I cant understand why people are shooting stuff on video and then processing it with so much film grain as to make it look nasty to watch. Also this being shot on video was not 2.35 anamorphic aspect and as such they have created the DVD with Black Bars top and bottom. Great thanks for making this a high grain, low resolution watch. The performances were believable but trite - you think the writer would have tried to write himself a better part. Do all French policemen walk around vast woodlands with their automatic weapons in hand pointed in front of them with no shoulder sling when there is absolutely no threat and nothing happens. Errrm, hello? That cop must have great muscles! The twee end to the movie which compresses everything that the movie comes to be about into a 1 minute montage where the lead man also gets all the women and becomes a fully balanced man that women now seem to want - Im reaching for the sick bucket. Seems like you could have dispensed with the first hour and made this "movie" a short and still got the whole of the story in there. I felt like I was just watching visual padding.

If anyone is looking to experience what a spiritual film should feel in terms of shaking awareness, look no further than Do Elephants Pray? The inner voyage begins literally from the very first frame, taking us into a realm that will leave an unforgettable trace. Following the struggle of the main character to decipher his doubts engages into that intensely human search faced with a crisis that needs to be confronted 'with the forehead against the night'. At certain parts, when the images and sounds lure us deeper into the forest, a Buddhist thought comes to mind regarding that sensation that 'at the deepest recesses of the forest, the mystery is still there'. All along the film, the camera performs extremely subtle moves that mysteriously shift the focus of awareness. To experience higher realms of consciousness is not easy matter, even if the event of projecting light through darkness is a perfect environment for it. But XXI century spectators rarely have their well-deserved chance. This film invites the audience with open arms to take the jump and go high. Don't avoid it because it will surely touch some strings, and even if it doesn't, at least you will be able to say that you have been moved by the most amazing psychotropic trip ever filmed. Never before a cinematic pill has gone so far into that land of the beyond and back! Check it out without risking disappointment! After all, it takes courage to change