Amer
2010 Directed by Hélène Cattet, Bruno Forzani
Synopsis
Three key moments, all of them sensual, define Ana's life. Her carnal search sways between reality and colored fantasies becoming more and more oppressive. A black laced hand prevents her from screaming. The wind lifts her dress and caresses her thighs. A razor blade brushes her skin, where will this chaotic and carnivorous journey leave her?
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Amer (2009)
Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani
B+ (although almost certainly would get bumped to A- if I’d seen this in a theater)Praising a film for being “cinematic” is like praising water for being wet, but the term serves as useful shorthand for this, which couldn't exist in any medium but film. Containing only a handful of lines of dialogue (almost none spoken by the main character), nothing which one could conventionally call a plot and only a tenuous connection to reality, AMER employs sights and sounds (and yes, the language of filmmaking) to explore the sexual awakening of a young woman, her descent into madness and the ordeal of being stalked by a knife-wielding killer. Or maybe it’s…
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Amer is a brilliantly crafted odd to Giallo cinema featuring a narrative that is almost completely driven by visuals. The film captures the evolution of a woman's life from childhood to adulthood; an evolution driven by fear and sexuality, both of which seem to go hand-in-hand for the lead character.
Amer is a masterclass in using various film techniques to tell a story without actually having to tell a story. The sound design, camerawork, editing, and body language of the characters give more depth and detail than any clumsy dialogue ever could, and this is especially true within the film's second act.
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-People do talk in this film, but dialogue is few and far between, and mostly just functional. I thought it better to not just choose some inane quote.
Film 14 of October 2012 – Halloween Season of Horror!
Some films are strange.
There are no two ways about it, some films are just strange. Some people will spend forever trying to decipher these oddities of cinema, in hope of discerning a greater cosmic importance. Indeed, some of these films are weird yet wonderful. Some do have greater meaning, or at least a strong message. Perhaps they won’t lead us on the path to eternal enlightenment, but could at least open our minds a little.
Some films though, are just strange.…
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Too much Freudiean repressed sexuality for my taste.
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Called a love letter to giallo by some critics I found it a huge waste of obvious visual talent. Split into three separate moments the story has very little cohesion or interest beyond the (very) pretty visuals. The first story (although to call any of them stories gives the wrong impression that they are about anything in particular) focuses on an event in Ana's childhood. This references Argento in its visual flourishes (as does the black gloved slasher in the final story) but the story most closely resembles Mario Bava's The Drop of Water both in story and the way it is executed. The first section of this film is by far the strongest and it looks gorgeous, unfortunately they…
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Amazing! This film caught me off guard! It completely breaks out of form, It has eye-popping visuals and surreal theme and plot, indeed the film is not at all about plot (the main character even has very few dialogue). It's one of those film that come along to remind how different and innovative art can be. Particularly loved the first part, the final part is solid too. (In fact watch the whole film)
If you wanna watch it, expect it'd be very different, relax and let all the visuals and eerie theme wash over you.
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Amer (2009)
Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani
B+ (although almost certainly would get bumped to A- if I’d seen this in a theater)Praising a film for being “cinematic” is like praising water for being wet, but the term serves as useful shorthand for this, which couldn't exist in any medium but film. Containing only a handful of lines of dialogue (almost none spoken by the main character), nothing which one could conventionally call a plot and only a tenuous connection to reality, AMER employs sights and sounds (and yes, the language of filmmaking) to explore the sexual awakening of a young woman, her descent into madness and the ordeal of being stalked by a knife-wielding killer. Or maybe it’s…
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wk beginning 29/04/2013
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This expressionistic horror film from 2009 certainly falls into the category of inaccessible but fascinating fare. Trying to look for any kind of clear narrative through-line is inevitably going to end in frustration, but it's not a hopeless cause. From what I can gather, the film tracks the progression of a girl's sexual awakening through three distinct stages. In the first stage, she is terrorized by a black figure in an old, dusty house, before viewing her parents making love. In the next stage, the girl, now a teen, goes with her mother into the nearby town, where she draws the attention of the local men. In the last stage, she returns to the house of her childhood, now an…
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Giallo has always been a little bit of style over substance. The problem with Amer is that it's completely style over substance with an absence of mystery.
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All style, with very little substance. But my God, the style.
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Interesting 70's horror pastiche. Sorta reminded me of an erotic companion to the BLACK RAINBOW movie from last year.
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A sensory feast of giallo inspired, nipple orientated horror. Dialogue unwelcome.
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Amazing! This film caught me off guard! It completely breaks out of form, It has eye-popping visuals and surreal theme and plot, indeed the film is not at all about plot (the main character even has very few dialogue). It's one of those film that come along to remind how different and innovative art can be. Particularly loved the first part, the final part is solid too. (In fact watch the whole film)
If you wanna watch it, expect it'd be very different, relax and let all the visuals and eerie theme wash over you.
-
Amer is a brilliantly crafted odd to Giallo cinema featuring a narrative that is almost completely driven by visuals. The film captures the evolution of a woman's life from childhood to adulthood; an evolution driven by fear and sexuality, both of which seem to go hand-in-hand for the lead character.
Amer is a masterclass in using various film techniques to tell a story without actually having to tell a story. The sound design, camerawork, editing, and body language of the characters give more depth and detail than any clumsy dialogue ever could, and this is especially true within the film's second act.