Indie Gems: Magic Magic

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She needs a doctor.
 
Alicia (Juno Temple) is a naïve young woman that is leaving the U.S for the first time to visit her cousin, Sara (Emily Browning) in Chile. Suddenly, Sara is told she has to finish an exam, and she leaves Alicia with her three friends, Brink,(Michael Cera) Agustin (Agustin Silva) and Barbara. (Catalina Sandino Moreno) They drive/boat for 12 hours to a remote island off of Chile, and Alicia is feeling very alone. There's barely anyone else on this island except them, she has no cell reception, and Sara isn't there for her. On top of that, she's suffering a bout of insomnia that's going to drive her over the edge.
 
Ignore the cheap looking 80's horror movie poster that this film got, because it's actually quite interesting. Juno Temple gives one of her best performances. (it's up there with Killer Joe) Alicia's isolation is handled very well, and her downfall keeps you interested. In fact, it's because of that downward spiral that I wasn't quite sure what kind of movie I was watching. Is this going to end up being a super natural thing? Does it have something to do with hypnosis? (Agustin hypnotizes her early in the film) When the film does end, I found it to be very practical. That's the best word I can think of. There's a scene leading up to the ending that I felt was a little unnecessary, (especially the nudity) but the film was a good watch either way. I'm a huge fan of both Temple and Browning, and Michael Cera really showed some range here. Seek this out for them.
 
Grade: B-
 
Memorable Quote: "These people are sadists!" - Alicia (Juno Temple)

Comments

  1. JoshAugust 25, 2013 at 11:15 AM

    Cera did nothing for me in the trailer, but I might see this for Juno Temple. It's nice to see Catalina Sandino Moreno getting work, too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamAugust 25, 2013 at 11:22 PM

      Definitely! She's great in Maria Full of Grace and The Hottest State. I've read quite a few reactions where people hated the ending, but I honestly thought it worked. Any other way wouldn't have set right with the tone of the film.

      Delete
  2. Eric @ The Warning SignAugust 27, 2013 at 11:21 PM

    Nice review! It sounds like we agree on most fronts. If you haven't already, you should check out the other Silva/Cera collaboration, Crystal Fairy. It's a completely different style film, but also pretty good.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamAugust 28, 2013 at 9:03 AM

      Thanks! I definitely will check that one out when it becomes available to me.

      Delete

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