HAUTE TENSION | aka High Tension; Switchblade RomanceAlexandre Aja, 2003. France
7.5
this was the tightest, creepiest, most suspenseful piece of modern filmmaking i have seen in recent years. it was refreshing to see a (relatively) new filmmaker handle such a badly overdone genre like this one with so much skill and ease. it's one brilliantly-conducted mood piece. the story is deceptively simple, but you won't notice or even care because your heart will be pumping so much blood through your body. i cannot tell you how much i got into this film. i really dug it and followed it around. and everywhere it went it made fucking sense and had me right there. it'd been a while since i'd experienced something as tense and real as this. Aja put me in those situation with disarming ease. it was nightmarish. but then--they had to add that moronic twist ending ... and it fucking ruined the movie for me. it did. it was devastating to see such a well-crafted little movie lose its entire credibility that quickly. it was disheartening. if only they didn't have to have that unnecessary motherfucker blindsiding us. (you had us in the palm of your motherfucking hand!!) too bad because (and i'll gladly repeat) they had such a perfect little piece of filmmaking (to which i'd easily give a 9-9.5). but don't let that deter you. see it for the atmosphere and enjoy the genuinely sweet ride. Alexandre Aja shows us he's a motherfucking master right here.
Posted by Anonymous | 12:30 AM
