Mother's Milk

I saw "Mothers Milk" last week via the SoCal film festival. I really knew nothing about it going in, as it was a part of a ticket package I bought. I decided last minute to watch it, as I had time to kill - and I am glad I made the move. The story is pretty disturbing. It's about a man named Claude who kidnaps women and traps them in his basement in order to fill his childhood fetish.

The movie basically takes place in one room. I could see some people thinking the movie is a bit slow moving, but there is a big payoff. It's really all about the actor who plays Claude (Casey Chapman). This is a performance that could hold up with anything being buzzed about currently for awards this season. He takes a character that is so disturbing, so disgusting, and so unlikeable and makes him sympathetic. There are points in the movie where I caught myself disagreeing with his victim at points, which shocked me as a woman.

Glad that I attend smaller festivals, as you can find hidden gems like this that are just as good (if not better) than what you will see in one of the bigger festivals in the US. I will keep my eye out for films from this writer and director (Edward Pionke) as well.

One wonders (worries) how someone comes up with these things! I wish I could narrow down the reasoning behind my streaming this film from a vast array of titles. I am not a scary movie person - and my favorite films don't have much in common with this dark little film. However, it was inexpensive on iTunes and listed as a drama even though it looked like a horror.

I am big on searching out films that I have never heard of however. And there were some real surprises included in this unique and disturbing film.

First of all - although it only runs an hour and a half, its quite the ordeal. Its one of those films that doesn't take up much of your time, but it feels like it takes up a ton of your time. That comes from a mixture of it being pretty slow-paced at times, and also because the tension ratchets up and up and UP throughout the film. By the end I had to fight the nerve to get up and walk out and to put my hand down from my mouth because I had chewed off my fingernails.

It's a slow build - but it does have a pay off.

I will say I did NOT care for the end of the film, however I will give the screenwriter credit for the fact that it took a turn that I never saw coming.

This writer/director, Edward Pionke, I must believe is a somewhat disturbed man to have created such a realistic and often brutal film about love and entrapment. It is very well written and I would be interested to see where else he could go as a filmmaker, as it looks like he has more films coming down the pike.

The acting is on point as well. Although I feel the film could have really challenged its audience by eliminating all of the side-characters who do nothing to forward the plot anyhow and just have two characters (like Van Sant's "Gerry"). I feel that is the approach the characters (and actors) needed to really have pushed this over the edge. However I think you would be hard pressed to find acting this good in a movie with a budget this small (I can only guess). The lead Casey Chapman gives one of the most unique and odd yet thrilling and exciting performances I've seen in a while. Mackenzie Wiglesworth forms a perfect pair, and the chemistry they share on screen is pretty special.

There is a scene or two however that are so over-the-top that almost ruin the film. One is pure pornography and the other involves on screen vomiting in a way that you have never seen before and hopefully will never see again. This was simply not needed, as neither scene pushed the story forward in any way.

It's a movie I recommend with trepidation. I enjoyed it surprisingly so, but I could see people really not liking it. To each their own I say. In the end I think its the work of a talented writer/director who seems to be interested in making a different kind of movie, and that I can admire.

I honestly never write bad reviews, unless I absolutely feel like the movie deserves it. I might as well start with the good: Curiosity got me hooked until the end, as I expected some crazy twist that might redeem the overall quality of the movie. I was let down completely with an "open to interpretations" end, however it was not the ending that disappointed me the most. The story itself is original and worth a try, but the quality of the cinematography, editing, acting and directing really fail to do it justice. The acting clearly fails from the script on, and while we might be able to feel connected to the characters in some way or another, their choice of words and actions often make them seem like robots. And the special effects where lousy even for an indie low budget film. It's not a fantastic movie, it's not even good, but it might have flown under the radar had It not been for all these ridiculous reviews left on its IMDB page.

However, if you take it as what it truly is, a bad movie, and try not to take it too seriously, you might actually enjoy the experience of sitting through all the inconsistencies.

I came across this at the video store (yeah they still exist) and rented it sight unseen. It sounded interesting and looked pretty screwed up due to the title and the woman on the front of the box clawing to get out. As an avid horror fan, I figured it would be a little torture experimental film to pass a few hours.

I will admit as it started, I thought there was a chance I could fall asleep. It seemed as if nothing was happening after a pretty mysterious and exciting opening sequence where our leading man watches water boil and mysteriously seems to destroy a woman in his basement. But it's all done "behind closed doors" - offering a much classier experience than the DVD cover alluded too.

After that though, it seems to plod along. There is a scene at our lead professors classroom, he plays cards with a friend, were introduced to our lead female, she is kidnapped. It all seemed pretty run of the mill after the exciting beginning.

If I am being honest, I almost turned the film off wondering where it would go from here - it just wasn't holding my attention. Well I am so very pleased I did not. After about the 30/45 minute mark I was hooked. Not to a horror film, but to a truly sad character piece. If there is any reason to watch this film (and there are more than one) its the leading performance. I have never heard of Casey Chapman before, but I cannot imagine not hearing about him again. This is the kind of performance an actor would die for with so much material to sink his/her teeth into.

So go into this film looking for a killer leading performance, not so much a killer killing people off film. (This is NOT to say this film isn't disturbing .. it is. Perhaps more-so than the type of film I thought I was getting into)

I would recommend the film to those who enjoy something a little darker, a little quieter.

Rented this unknown film last night suffering from yet another night of insomnia. This is the story of a man who keeps a woman chained in his basement for the sole purpose of using her lactating breasts to feed his fetish. Sounds like pretty family far huh? I jest.

Well the problem is, she is not lactating, and he made a mistake. When capturing her she was jogging along with her sisters child and he is left not knowing what to do with his new victim.

What follows could be described as a cat and mouse game between two lost souls. One a man scarred from childhood and the other a college graduate facing real life problems and that dreaded "what next" phase. This material has been covered similarly in other films (the more recent "Chained" has many similar moments) however it's never really been handled this way.

Its a quiet film. One that may be overlooked by some based on its slow movement. The director doesn't seemed interested in making any bold statements or showing off for an audience. Here is a movie that basically takes place in one room between two characters. There's no real outlandish violence, no one scene that could be considered the ultimate climax - yet there is a sense of overwhelming dread the entire run time.

It's an uneasy experience for sure. Due to the performance of the lead actor, Casey Chapman, the biggest sense of unease is that you have sympathy for his character throughout. His is a performance like many of the classic movie villains (Norman Bates really comes to mind). Like Anthony Perkins, Chapman has created a character that all at once you feel sorry for and are scared by. He is tender, personable, pleasant, attractive, yet all at once someone you would not want to be alone in a room with. If anything at all ties the film together and makes it a must-see it's this leading performance.

It does take some twists and turns I didn't expect, and it showcases solid direction from a new director. I would highly recommend it.