shatteredstairs's reviews

It's like the Twilight Zone . . . except not good.

When David Bowie asked John Lennon what he thought of his music (glam rock), Lennon replied, "Yeah, it's great, but it's just rock and roll with lipstick on." To paraphrase John, Joker is alright, but it's just Taxi Driver with make-up on.

I wish I could give this film a zero-star rating. One does not simply watch Desire (Desearás al hombre de tu hermana) - no, no, no, no, no. Desire is a film that one must endure. To put it simply, this movie is among the very worst of what cinema has to offer. If that's what you've been searching for, look no further. There are 1) no redeeming qualities whatsoever and 2) nothing compelling about the film. However, every time I see a film, I learn something, so I always enjoy seeing a film regardless of whether or not the film is 'good' or 'bad'. Now, in this circumstance, I must say that if I've learned but one thing, it's that everyone involved in making this film should be ashamed of themselves, with the exception of the child actresses - and especially the parents of those children, because those kids had no say in whether they wanted to be a part of this unholy mess. And I'm sure they had no idea what they were taking part in. Not only this, but I fear that they may grow up ashamed of their roles, though I hope they do not. It isn't their fault. This film is disgusting and positively lifeless. I've seen many disturbing films - grotesque, even - but this film is repugnant, repulsive, abominable. Never before have I seen a film that, while I sat there, thought "I really would prefer if every copy of this film and every trace of it was wiped from existence." It's the only movie I've ever seen that I think one could argue is a declaration of war on cinema itself. I couldn't tell whether the film was trying to be funny and lampoon other erotic films, or whether the film was supposed to have 'that' type of humor. Being that it was the first result when I typed in "erotic" in Netflix's search menu, I incorrectly assumed it would be worth viewing. I couldn't have been more wrong. I simply wanted to explore a genre of films I don't normally watch, and this is what was waiting for me: what is, without a doubt (and without hyperbole), the worst film I have ever seen. In that way, this film reminds me of imitation sushi, always there waiting to be eaten by you . . . Even readily available to you. Yet, when you take a bite you simply confirm all your misgivings, reluctance, and reservations. In other words, don't try it.

This film wasn't made for you, me, or even Ethan - (well, it was kind of made for him) - it's a film made for every artist - aspiring and well-known. That may sound cliché, but I find this is the sort of film that was made truly. By this, I mean Ethan Minsker had a vision and saw it through without compromise. To me, any truly great artist creates art without compromise and clearly expresses their vision through their work. Ethan achieves this in his self-portrait through the trials and tribulations he endured and continuing to make art in his own way. When watching the film, it becomes clear that he has a passion, and it's this passion, this undying passion - this passion for art - that emanates from the screen and reaches the audience. This is a celebration of art and what it means to be a true artist. To be clear and to speak plainly, this is a triumph of a true artist.