Thirst (2009)

You don’t have to be a vampire movie buff to enjoy, Thirst. The story had a great set up. A priest volunteers to develop a vaccine for a community affected by a deadly virus. He repeats throughout the movie that he just wanted to help people, to do good things. But he contracts the virus and is given a transfusion, apparently infected by vampire blood. Now he is able to continue living with the virus rather than die like the 500 others. The change brings about typical vampiric desires that even his priestly guilt cannot keep at bay. For the first time in his life, the priest makes love and falls in love with a woman named Tae-ju. Together they commit a heinous act. While he thinks he’s helping Tae-ju, he is also satisfying his new found thirst. Haunted by their guilt, they begin to see and feel things that cannot be real. Will their guilt absolve them?

There have been many vampire stories that tackle the guilt issue. Vampire characters, especially in recent history, do not let go of their humanity completely. Good men become more human-like vampires and bad characters make more monstrous ones. This film wrestled with questions of the very existence of evil.

In life, people commit evil acts, but, unless their psychotic, they will feel remorseful or be disgusted by these acts; or, at the least, they feel sorry for the consequences they face. In this world, vampires, like humans, are complicated creatures. They are animals who act on instinct, but they are not missing that which makes them laugh, cry and love the same as any human. This to me is not evil. It is life reacting to its environment, the same as it might have a hundred thousand years ago.

In Thirst, the priest later receives absolution, but I asked myself why. His faith demanded it. But I do not believe he thought God would forgive him for everything. He was too smart to think it would be that simple. Why then, wouldn’t you give in to your monster? Why did his human part wrestle with it, trying to keep it at bay, if he could not go to heaven? I think perhaps we as humans deserve some credit. Maybe we try not to hurt people for the simple reason that we do not want them to hurt. We don’t need faith or consequences for that.

There were some pretty graphic sex scenes. Tae-ju enjoyed pain, and even inflicted it upon herself. The priest was uncontrollably aroused by her pain and pleasure. I’m not sure if these scenes were made to scare us for the lack of control and vulnerability, or if they were made to display more of their animalistic behavior. Perhaps it was a bit of both… immorality presenting itself as a thing that cannot be controlled, and the consequences of her actions when she allows it to enrapture her.

At one point, before making love, the priest tells Tae-ju that he is evil. That she will go to hell. She responds, “I won’t go to hell because I have no faith.” Tae-ju felt she was beyond consequence. And perhaps she did not go to hell, but she would eventually face the consequences here on earth.

Directed by Park Chan-wook (Oldboy, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, and Lady Vengeance), you will see some awesome shots typical of this master filmmaker. Horror film directors would be wise to learn to use his crooked tracking shots that provide viewers with obscurity and a loss of control. The use of white to exaggerate blood splatter is also fantastic. High contrast makes for edgier scenes. Who needs the shaky cam tricks or sudden loud noises when you watch a story unfold through the eyes of Park Chan-wook?

Zombies Live!

There must be some kind of virus spreading, because we just can't get enough of the walking, flesh-eating dead.  A zombie cop takes revenge on his murderer in "R.I.P.D,"  currently filming in Boston, my source tells me, for a 2013 release date.  Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges are listed as leads on IMDb.  After some research (in other words, I googled it), I found that this film is based on a Dark Horse comic book written a decade ago.  Two more comic-based zombie flicks on the horizon are "Boyscouts vs Zombies," and "Zombies vs Robots," both sure to be crowd pleasers for comic book and zombie fans alike.

Rare is the horror film without sequels.  In the next couple years, we can look forward to a few good ones.  "Zombieland" returns in 2013.  This was a hit for the mainstream crowd, with lots of laughs to compliment the bloodsplatter, and a pretty outstanding cast.  No word on IMDb of this sequel's cast, but I'm hoping Jessie Eisenberg returns as the nerdy antihero, Columbus, Ohio.  "28 Months Later" (what else would it be called), is also set to be released in 2013.  So far they've used different writers and directors for this series, however, I was impressed by how the second film's director, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo kept the "the infected", and the film's unique style, consistant with the first film.  I'd like to see him direct this one as well.  Finally, there's "REC- 3," which I imagine will be as good as the first two. 

 There are two new zombie films coming out that were based on novels, each with it's own spin on classic romance.  "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" made the New York Times Best Sellers list in 2009. It retold the classic Jane Austen story, but with zombies, of course.  As a fan of both, I cannot miss this one. 

The one I'm really looking forward to is "Warm Bodies," based on the novel by Isaac Marion.  It's creatively told from the point of view of a zombie who falls for his victim's girlfriend.  These are the kind of zombie stories I want to see.  If it's possible for a zombie to still have thoughts and feelings, what would he feel about his new afterlife?  What can he hope for other than where his next plate of brains will come from?  How does he feel about doing something that would've morally repulsed him in his pre-zombie life?  It reminds me of "Zombie Honeymoon," in which recently married Danny is unsuspectingly turned into a zombie and attempts to go on with his honeymoon plans.  For Denise, the pain of watching Danny's physical decomposition and loss of consciousness will not keep her from the man she loves.  The idea of a zombie and human match up is both hilarious and romantic, and it proves to me that they have not yet run out of plot lines for zombies stories.

Last Night

In the span of one night in which a young married couple spend apart, each contemplates love, loyalty and adultery in Massy Tadjedin's "Last Night." Michael, played by Sam Worthington, is tempted by an attractive coworker who relentlessly makes passes at him. Joanna, played by Keira Knightley, runs into an ex-lover who was never really forgotten.

The film begins at a poshy party for really hot people which, to my surprise, turns out to be a friend's wake. There, Joanna watches jealously as Michael interacts with his attractive coworker. After having realized this is the woman Michael has been traveling with on business, she accuses Michael being attracted to her. Michael assures her she has nothing to worry about. Then, the film cuts back and forth between Joanna and Michael in a match up of whose actions are most sinful, and we wait two hours to see if one or both will cheat.

At the hotel, Michael attempts to call Joanna a couple times, but cant reach her. Is he hoping for her to answer and give him strength against temptation, or is he looking for an excuse to have a nightcap with his sexy coworker? Back home in New York, Joanna is seemingly innocent when she has dinner with an ex-boyfriend, Alex, and his friends. As they spend the night pet sitting, party hopping, and discussing resentments about their past, Joanna discovers it was never really over for Alex. She quickly realizes there's no question about what's left between them, but that the real question is what she will feel about the choice she makes.

I'm a little on the fence with this film. It brought up some really good questions about relationships and commitment. However, while the dialogue was passionate, it was not without it's flaws. Dialogue in a drama that discusses real issues like this one should share secrets, open doors and develop it's characters. Instead, the viewer can only make assumptions based on the characters' present choices and actions... and some very obvious body language. Take this film for what it is, a sexy, almost romantic chick flick, and enjoy!

The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things

In the 2004 indie drama, "The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things," written, directed and acted by Asia Argento, a young boy, Jeremiah, is removed from his happy foster home to live with his young unstable biological mother, Sarah. Together they move from place to place, as his mother enjoys a life of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. As years pass, Jeremiah is verbally, physically and sexually abused by whomever his mother is sleeping with at the time, and we begin to see the damage this does to the young boy's psyche.

This story reaches a new level of dysfunction in the family. The disturbing images will replay in your head. The unconventional visual style and perhaps scattered and unique plotline were matched perfectly with an experimental, indie, semi-punk soundtrack that made the film so artistic, though some may find difficult to watch, especially considering the dark subject matter.

A strong preformance by Jimmy Bennett as young Jeremiah kept my eyes glued to the screen. In one scene, Jeremiah wears a blonde wig as Sarah applies make-up on both their faces, and they pose pinup-doll-style in front of the mirror. Moments later, young Jeremiah goes in the other room in his girly get-up to seduce his mother's boyfriend. The scene used mixed shots of mother and son, perhaps because the scene was too risque to be preformed by such a young actor. But it was implied that Jeremiah was the one seducing the grown man. When the man attempts to have sex with Jeremiah, Sarah walks in and, in a raging fit, kicks the boyfriend out and attacks her son. She is both jealous and angry and has no resources nor the mature intellect to handle the situation. Yet, the film allows us to feel the love Jeremiah feels for his mother, Sarah.

How will you feel about watching a mother's desperate need to be with her son one moment, and watching her place him in danger the next? It is this controversy that made it a difficult film for respectful critics to review. Fortunately, I am not a respectful critic, but a film lover, and I loved this film very much.