NEW DIRECTORS/NEW FILMS // A REVIEW OF "PARABELLUM"

BY CHRISENA RICCI

The Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s 44th edition of New Directors/New Films is being presented in New York City from March 18 – March 29. For 44 years New Directors/New Films has been an annual rite of early spring in New York City, bringing exciting discoveries from around the world to adventurous moviegoers. All aspects of cinema, from production to exhibition, have changed dramatically over the years, but the spirit of innovation and the element of surprise that have always defined this festival remain intact. Dedicated to the discovery of new works by emerging and dynamic filmmaking talent, this year’s festival will screen 26 international feature films and 16 short films.

We here at TheArtsWire Weekly are bringing you our take on the films we're screening during the festival.

This film left me so very confused.

At first PARABELLUM feels  like a comedic take on a survivalist summer camp, with a mismatched and odd group of adult campers. They struggle to run short distances, and enjoy downtime in a small and crowded looking hot tub. I actually chuckled a bit at the level of seriousness that all the campers had on their faces, and how it was juxtaposed with the friendly camp counselors posted throughout the facility. The whole thing felt like at any moment something really funny was going to happen. Then a few scenes later, these same rag-tag campers are guilty of home invasion and murder.

So it wasn’t actually supposed to be comedic.

Self-emulation, theft, murder, earthquakes and a consistent collision of asteroid hitting the earth are all popular things that happen in this film. Every so often a hugely percussive interlude jolts the audience while snippets from a survival guide book are plastered across a blood red screen. Unfortunately, these quotes do not seem to help answer any of the questions I have. Who are these people? Why are they here? What exactly is going on?

I think most of my questions could have been answered if I had a better exposition. The entire opening shot is a slow pan of the outdoors. We hear gentle bird calls and the soft hum of chirping crickets and croaking frogs. The stars slowly fade in the blue morning and the sun begins its ascent. Then, there is an explosion. That’s pretty much all you get. Then the focus is on a man, Hernan, played by Pablo Seijo, preparing to go on vacation. He gets on a bus and once again, we get a tiny piece of information, apparently there have been bad natural disasters as of late. And then the dialogue stops.

Confusing as it may be, the entire film held my attention. The campers are taught hand to hand combat, gun handling, scavenging and water survival skills. The actors are perfectly honest and extremely focused. One actor in particular has a haunting performance as a young man named Juan, pushed to the end of his limits. Martín Shanly does a stunning job with the portrayal of the silent and subtle decay of his humanity. His hollow glances were absolutely chilling.

Due to the interesting concept, and committed acting and directorial choices, I definitely enjoyed the film. I would have preferred a more fleshed out story, so that I could stop wasting my time making inferences about the circumstances at hand, and consider the real questions I believe this film intended to ask.

VERDICT: SEE IT

DIRECTED BY: Lukas Valenta Rinner WRITTEN BY: Ana Godoy, Esteban Prado and Lukas Valenta Rinner STARRING: Eva Bianco, Pablo Seijo, Martín Shanly

Playing as part of The Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center's 44th New Directors/New Films Fest. For tickets: http://newdirectors.org/

FINAL THOUGHTS: An interesting concept, PARABELLUM will haunt you in a curious way, but it will most likely leave you with more questions than answers. 

CHRISENA RICCI once went to a costume party dressed in an all black dress and black wig. No one there could guess who she was. So she shouted out, "I'm Christina Ricci, without the T or I and add an E!" Everyone stood there confused, she was annoyed, so she stormed off. She never returned to that apartment ever again. Which is fine, because she later realized she was at the wrong party. She now lives in New York City.