- Sep 22, 2013
- 4,956
- 250
- 85
I've retired from USMB-blogging, but I just saw an incredible movie on Showtime the other day, Elizabeth Harvest, and I had the overwhelming urge to post a review of it so I could share how stunning this movie is, so please excuse this minor transgression of a 'sentimental return' to USMB for a movie-review(!).
The movie has a real David Lynch feel to it, even though it's directed by new gen film-maker Sebastian Gutierrez. The sci-fi intrigue/suspense film presents the story (through daydream-like interiors of a home and atmospheric storytelling) of a maid and a butler experiencing the drama of their lord/master Henry who makes clones of his wife to perhaps murder them. The clones are of his original wife Elizabeth, and it is revealed that the eccentric Henry's maid and butler (Claire and Oliver) are actually scientists(!).
As the original Elizabeth and the various clones of Elizabeth (all portrayed very nicely by the talented actress Abbey Lee Kershaw!) try to grasp the 'reality' they are given, sometimes driven to unusual acts of courage or even recklessness, we're compelled to ponder the strange gravity of genetics-science and why it invokes serious discussions/evaluations of primalism-imagination(!).
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The visuals of this film are quite surreal and sensitive and provocative, but it doesn't have that pretension of new age postmodern superficial 'intellectualism aesthetics.' Instead, we're given a nicely-entertaining David Lynch-esque presentation about the human qualities of the unusual 'character' of genetics and why it invokes imaginations about strange depression(!).
The cast is really perfect in this well-mounted if 'alternative film.' While it's really doubtful Elizabeth Harvest will get the same sort of 'society attention' relevant/comparable genetics-oriented/themed films such as Gattaca, Ex-Machina, and The Fly have enjoyed, I think this will become a cult-favorite film for those interested in the basic instincts and passions associated with the 'hypocrisies' of genetics, especially since there's a fair amount of betrayal-thematics(!).
I really like Carla Gugino as the concerned and engaged maid Claire who offers the story/film nice background and atmospherics regarding why a creepy house-master would keep/murder clones of his wife (Elizabeth) while 'brooding' about basic human frailty. This is a nice film for anyone intrigued by alternative forms of sci-fi politics.
The notion of making clones of your wife just so you can kill each one and then 'measure' her responses to create some vague and eerie concept of pseudo-existentialist horror-comedy reminds me of something Woody Allen (Sleeper) or Stephen King (Pet Sematary) might present(!). Nevertheless, Elizabeth Harvest manages to grab your attention/interest and boasts very exhilarating imagery regarding the 'basic drama' of life itself.
I really liked the design of the interiors in Henry's house and how the atmospherics contribute to the overall 'brightness' of the story. You get the feeling that the director was in various ways inspired by both David Lynch and Alfred Hitchcock(!). In fact, Elizabeth Harvest may become one of those 'under-represented' gems in the halls of 'sci-fi diarism.'
If you're a fan of either ironical sci-fi storytelling or calamity-oriented sci-fi storytelling, then Elizabeth Harvest will entreat your sensibilities about human courage. I give this film 4/5 stars, if I gave, for example, a highly-esteemed sci-fi film such as Francois Truffaut's Fahrenheit 451 (a 'sci-fi' treatise on governance-doctoring) 5/5 stars!
Thanks for reading,
====
The movie has a real David Lynch feel to it, even though it's directed by new gen film-maker Sebastian Gutierrez. The sci-fi intrigue/suspense film presents the story (through daydream-like interiors of a home and atmospheric storytelling) of a maid and a butler experiencing the drama of their lord/master Henry who makes clones of his wife to perhaps murder them. The clones are of his original wife Elizabeth, and it is revealed that the eccentric Henry's maid and butler (Claire and Oliver) are actually scientists(!).
As the original Elizabeth and the various clones of Elizabeth (all portrayed very nicely by the talented actress Abbey Lee Kershaw!) try to grasp the 'reality' they are given, sometimes driven to unusual acts of courage or even recklessness, we're compelled to ponder the strange gravity of genetics-science and why it invokes serious discussions/evaluations of primalism-imagination(!).
====
The visuals of this film are quite surreal and sensitive and provocative, but it doesn't have that pretension of new age postmodern superficial 'intellectualism aesthetics.' Instead, we're given a nicely-entertaining David Lynch-esque presentation about the human qualities of the unusual 'character' of genetics and why it invokes imaginations about strange depression(!).
The cast is really perfect in this well-mounted if 'alternative film.' While it's really doubtful Elizabeth Harvest will get the same sort of 'society attention' relevant/comparable genetics-oriented/themed films such as Gattaca, Ex-Machina, and The Fly have enjoyed, I think this will become a cult-favorite film for those interested in the basic instincts and passions associated with the 'hypocrisies' of genetics, especially since there's a fair amount of betrayal-thematics(!).
I really like Carla Gugino as the concerned and engaged maid Claire who offers the story/film nice background and atmospherics regarding why a creepy house-master would keep/murder clones of his wife (Elizabeth) while 'brooding' about basic human frailty. This is a nice film for anyone intrigued by alternative forms of sci-fi politics.
The notion of making clones of your wife just so you can kill each one and then 'measure' her responses to create some vague and eerie concept of pseudo-existentialist horror-comedy reminds me of something Woody Allen (Sleeper) or Stephen King (Pet Sematary) might present(!). Nevertheless, Elizabeth Harvest manages to grab your attention/interest and boasts very exhilarating imagery regarding the 'basic drama' of life itself.
I really liked the design of the interiors in Henry's house and how the atmospherics contribute to the overall 'brightness' of the story. You get the feeling that the director was in various ways inspired by both David Lynch and Alfred Hitchcock(!). In fact, Elizabeth Harvest may become one of those 'under-represented' gems in the halls of 'sci-fi diarism.'
If you're a fan of either ironical sci-fi storytelling or calamity-oriented sci-fi storytelling, then Elizabeth Harvest will entreat your sensibilities about human courage. I give this film 4/5 stars, if I gave, for example, a highly-esteemed sci-fi film such as Francois Truffaut's Fahrenheit 451 (a 'sci-fi' treatise on governance-doctoring) 5/5 stars!
Thanks for reading,
====
