2 Kings

I saw this at a film festival recently and found it to be overheated and self-indulgent. That's just my opinion. But I find it had to believe that the other posted reviews here were written by objective viewers not connected to the film. Even if you haven't seen the film, the level of hyperbole in these reviews is pretty suspicious - with one exception, all of them give it 10 stars?!?! Also with one exception, none of these reviewers has written about any other film for IMDb. Very, very suspicious - caveat emptor!

I have always admired the rogue directors who choose to make bold artistic statements with their work, Those who push the boundaries of film narrative, demand attention and offer a bit of a challenge to the audience. It's these risk-takers who thrill and excite me- these artists who dare to wander into the darker alleys of our psyche and explore the more complex, intricate elements of human existence.

If this sounds profound and refreshing to your intellect, this may indeed be the film for you. And in 2 Kings, we have just such a journey.

Richly laced with hidden nuggets of discovery and delightful surprises, this is a film with layered secrets. An intelligent story scraped out from deep within the soft folds of the human psyche, it deftly addresses uncomfortable elements of the human condition. I was absolutely thrilled with the smörgåsbord of savory treats, all served up on a rich, color saturated platter. I found myself delightfully overwhelmed with a nearly tactile experience, gorging on a plethora of feelings and emotions- sadness, loneliness, despair, anger, humor, joy, disgust, horror, unconditional love, and ultimately surprise and sympathy with the arrival of the film's unexpected but solid conclusion. All this rides on a formidable and looming sense of doom that constantly forms a shadow over the story, and a subterranean pulsating weight of uneasiness constantly creeps and grows just below the surface, upsetting your footing. Youthful innocence is choked and scarred with tragic turn-of-events, a personality disorder ripens and starts to rot and spoil as we look on, bittersweet decisions of questionable need and merits are tossed around in chunks, acrid sociopath character flaws stream across the narrative in rivulets, soured behavior traits and exposed kernels of frailty of id and human vulnerability bubble and spit. This hearty stew simmers steadily with all these base ingredients and figurative fatty table scraps, slowly reducing into a meaty pulp of a narrative thick and dense with heady possibilities until the pot finally explodes. This, in the form of a fugue state that ruptures the thick opaque layer of crust coating the surface, extinguishing the narrative flame. The story to rapidly cools to conclusion, the raw nerves and deep wounds of a tragic sequence of events glazing over and coagulating for one last time.

With a refined and skilled hand, the director takes this winding short story coursing along at a deceptively lucid clip. The quality narrative, gorgeous cinematography and exceptional, fluid editing are executed with deftly and professionally. The grasp the director has of these elements of film-making allow him to weave together an odd yet potent and complimentary range of underlying themes and emotions, swinging fluidly from subtle and warming to wild and brutal. Again, I was especially impressed with the artistic flair running throughout the virile cinematography- I often caught myself marveling at the technical aspects of the scene structures and choices of color palate- enough to consider many scenes worthy of a still print. The clever angles chosen to frame the action to the well thought out use of color palates ranging from soft and lilting to etched and extreme, all to appropriately compliment the action unfolding on the screen. This effort deserve great applause. Add to this the superb and refined editing, and what unfolds is a precise, well executed result. The timing is impeccable on many a scene, is sublime when needed and intentionally uncomfortable and provoking when called for. A seamless, even keeled pace is achieved with the occasional ragged edges of cutting edge cinema slicing into your soft belly when you least expect it and the storyline demands it.I was impressed with the level of angst and tension conveyed in this film, and all of it done so beautifully and convincing.

The acting- well, what else could one say but "bravo!", not just for what you see on the surface- it's especially poignant when it finally sinks in at what's really going on here, folks. And mind you, not just the initial baby-step moment of enlightenment that dawns upon you as you start to break through to the layers but the shocking jolt that occurs as (or if) you unearth the core of what's really going on here. It runs much much deeper than appearances lead on. What an added treat this was to discover! Indeed the quintessential frosted topping on a multi-layer cake.

All in all, this film possesses a well refined, quality cinematic experience that is only topped by the film's biggest and greatest feat- a secret that truly magnifies the scope of what really has been accomplished here, and warrants one to re-consider everything that they have just witnessed. Only then will one properly understand the level of lofty artistic merit achieved. To say I was impressed would be unfair, as the impact was much greater.

Kudos to such a strong effort- It's my belief that with what Jon Alex has achieved with this film, future endeavors from Perception // One Man Band can only continue to delight and challenge.

An incredibly personal - and disturbing at times - look at the bond between twin brothers, revealing all of their fears, hopes and fantasies. It jumps between dark drama, thriller, and straight up horror, with unnerving, almost documentary-style visuals. Slightly surreal at times, and bizarre in the imagery it conjures up. Could be a little tighter in terms of its length, but overall, watching this was a visceral experience. Knowing that the filmmaker was able to accomplish absolutely everything about the making of this film, from writing, directing, performing, operating the camera, (while acting!) to all the other areas, (Costume, Set Design, Lighting etc) makes this short film quite remarkable in its technical achievement and a rarity among even the tiniest independent projects.

I attended a screening of this film recently in Los Angeles and was impressed by the caliber of filmmaking. Oftentimes, the emotional through-line in a short film is sacrificed for time. This is definitely not the case with 2 Kings.

This Writer/Director/Producer/Actor has created a visually stunning short film that is not only brilliantly acted and incredibly moving but is also a testament to the craft of filmmaking.

This beautifully drawn portrait of love, desperation and loneliness felt by so many people is expressed in a thought-provoking often-times dark film. Director Jon Alex captures your attention from the disturbing beginning to the emotional conclusion of the film and is unafraid to take us on this poignant journey with him.

I would highly recommend 2 Kings to anyone who wants to see short filmmaking at its best.

It is hard to find superlatives sufficient to describe this film. The filmography is excellent. The acting is superb - beyond superb. The editing is crisp, and the film, though a short film, is emotionally stunning. It is also a very dark film, not only with respect to its plot line, but also with respect to the message of loneliness and connection that is its central theme. One reads a great deal about twins, but I have never encountered such a profound exposition of the psychological intricacy of being a twin, and certainly no verbal description that approaches in depth of understanding what this film conveys. Is the writer-director- producer-actor somehow possessed of special insight into the state of mind of a twin? One can only guess. In short, Jon Alex (I assume this is his real name) can be proud of an artistic achievement that excels in every aspect of film-making.