Didim Today

Monster is probably the most anticipated film by many playing at Frightfest 2010, Gareth Edward’s low-budget Sci-Fi Drama Monsters has had a heavy amount of buzz surrounding it for the whole of 2010, but is this justified? Last year, the film world was stunned by a “little movie that could”, Paranormal Activity. Grossing over $100 million at the US box office, that film became the most profitable of all time as it was made on a budget of just $15000, an impressive achievement. Want to hear something more impressive? Gareth Edward’s feature directorial debut Monsters had a production budget of the same amount.

This film that people are calling “the next District 9″ cost around the same amount as a film comprised of a heavy amount of static nighttime shots, already marking out Monsters as something special before even watching the thing. One of the issues I have personally had with this hype is that it sets up almost impossible expectations of the film, something that I am sure many will fall into the trap of having, including those who will likely write about the low budget prior to the film’s release. Before even going in, I should already say that no the effects aren’t as impressive as District 9 or Cloverfield, but if you were expecting that to be the case, you are flat out deluded.

So saying this, does Monsters have anything under the hood to mark it out as something special other than its budget? 6 years before the start of the film, we are told that a NASA probe fell back down to Earth over Mexico, carrying with it alien material. This material soon combines with the local fauna to create new alien lifeforms living on Earth. These aliens stake out territory for themselves and also start to expand out. Before a large area of Mexico is deemed a no-go area, Photojournalist Andrew (Scott McNairy) is sent by the boss of his company to pick up his daughter Samantha (Whitney Able).

The two then pair up to try and cross the “infected zone” and return back to the USA. Monsters is not the film we are being sold. You look at the posters, you look at the trailers and those District 9 comparisons aren’t just from the budget, the marketing almost screams at us that it is indeed “the new District9″. While this is obviously a smart idea pre-release, once the film starts being shown widely, I can’t help but think that there is going to be a backlash. It’s not an action fest in the slightest, what it is though is something entirely different and in the end of the day arguably more satisfying.

To say what exactly it is would be to ruin much of the effect of the initial viewing but I can say that it is a film of real heart, of pure emotional heft and offers up one of the most striking pairings of actors I have seen in quite some time. At the Q+A (which will be posted in full on an upcoming Cinerama Vidcast BTW), director Gareth Edwards’ told the audience that the two leads Scoot McNairy and Whitney Able were a couple before the film was made and are now actually married and it shows. These two unknowns have a chemistry that is absolutely electric throughout but there are certain factors in the way and as a result the sense of longing in the both of them is truly palpable and this only serves to ensure that the final ten minutes of the film, coupled with one of the most original and beautiful effects sequences you are ever likely to see (and yes, this is impressive budget wise), will make you leave the cinema with a feeling that you would have never expected, sheer fucking emotional exhaustion.

This is what the film is about, this is what Gareth Edwards’ obviously most cares about but it is not what sells the film, and the aspects that will get people in are the most problematic, the film itself is very much hurt by a distinct lack of threat. Though there are reasons for this, financial and creative, this is undoubtedly troublesome. For much of the runtime, the presence of the Monsters is talked about often but just not shown and while I do not need effects to make my films, it does undermine the tension which should be inherent in this film and may make some people tune out. This is a reaction that I entirely understand, and while the film does offer up a great many other joys, on a sheer dramatic level, points do have to come off the overall film for this.

If we could have had an extra set-piece of real threat, the film would have flown better and maybe would have engendered a better impression in people (something I know our own Noel Mellor certainly agrees with). So then, the visuals. Yes the effects are impressive but for me the thing that should be most celebrated is the world building. Simple things such as dusty, beat up signs and graffiti on walls build the impression that this is still the world we know but… different and the amazing digital cinematography in the film creates a road movie, documentary feel that creates an atmosphere that feels undeniably real and the sparse but affecting score only helps to serve this.

On a plain world building level, this film looks like it cost 500 times what it did and this is simply staggering. Monsters is without a doubt an exceptionally well crafted and made film which aims high and for the most part succeeds. I would have loved to have seen what Edwards could have done with more money but nevertheless its a film of genuine wonder and invention and deserves to be seen by anyone who wants to be challenged by new, and really quite groundbreaking cinema.

Source - http://www.eatsleeplivefilm.com/