Monday, January 16, 2017

The Eyes of My Mother (SIFF 2016) - Movie Review



The Movie: The Eyes of My Mother (Official selection of the 2016 Seattle International Film Festival)

The Director: Nicolas Pesce

The Cast: Kika Magalhaes, Will Brill, Olivia Bond, Diana Agostini, Flora Diaz,

The Story: A young, lonely woman is consumed by her deepest and darkest desires after tragedy strikes her quiet country life. - Official Website


The Review:
This movie starts out very dark and creepy and then just gets darker and creepier the rest of the way and every bit of it works. Nicolas Pesce, in his debut effort as both writer and director, takes viewers on a very bizarre ride that is as artistically stunning as it is horrifyingly shocking. There are so many w.t.f. moments although Pesce has them play out in very subtle and subdued ways which makes it all even more creepy than if he went for the more common in your face shock value. It's not ghosts or zombies that will scare the crap out of you, it's the images and ideas that are portrayed on screen and they will stick with you long after the film is over.


Portuguese actress Kika Magalhaes is stunning in the starring role of Francisca and I mean she is stunning in an appropriately creepy way that has you constantly wondering what the good gravy is going on inside her head. Just when you think you might be figuring her character out, she adds another layer of depth and subtlety that is just as scary as it is attractive. Will Brill is given the task of taking on the role of Charlie, the unfortunate killer turned victim, which he handles valiantly and Clara Wong has a few brief scenes that are sweet yet painfully tragic.


The Verdict:
The Eyes of My Mother is a stunning debut film from Nicolas Pesce. This American Gothic tragedy is beautifully portrayed as a black and white cinematic experience that is slow at times but definitely worth the effort.

Check out all of my reviews and coverage for the 2016 Seattle International Film Festival!






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