When I watch a film (when I engross myself in any story for that matter), I am first and foremost looking for Aristotle’s catharsis, that emotional feast that fills my soul with wonder and reminds me of the magical connection we have to this world and the next. But that isn’t the only reason I delve into stories; if it were, I’d be mostly disappointed.
I also love a good chuckle, I enjoy intellectual stimulation, I have fun trying to figure out whodunit, and, I must admit, I get a kick out of unapologetic, special effects eye candy.
Most movies (my crystal ball tells me approximately 90%) focuses on one of those major components (the heart, the mind, the eyes, etc.) and fails to develop the others: Not intentionally so, as any good story will attempt to connect to the audience on an emotional level, but fail nonetheless. The film that immediately comes to my mind is Inception by Christopher Nolan. Inception tried so hard to get me to think, I forgot to feel. The emotional component was there and it was in the forefront of the story, it’s just that the intellectual component was too distracting, at least for me.
It is rare, then, to find a film these days that satisfies me on multiple levels. Which is why I am ecstatic to share with you a film that a friend of mine introduced me to this week.
Ink.
The plot revolves around the title character, a spirit who kidnaps the soul of an 8 year old girl and tries to deliver her to a council of demons in order to become a demon himself.
I hate to go into too much detail because I want all of you to rush out and see this movie and discover it for yourselves. You will not be disappointed.
One caveat, however, is that Ink is an independent film and was made for a reported $250,000, so the visuals are less than stunning. Half an hour into it, though, and you will be so engrossed in the experience that you will stop noticing the poor quality of the film it was shot on.
You can watch the full film for free on Hulu, but if you are a true connoisseur of film like me, please support the filmmakers and buy this gem. Here’s the link to Amazon.
