The Baader Meinhof Complex Review: Baadass, Yet Complex Indeed

The Baader Meinhof Complex...this is a film you may not have heard of, but you will hear more of in the coming future. Because it's so good? Possibly, but I was referencing the "Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon: as a joke. You probably didn't get it.

Unpopular allusions aside, The Baader Meinhof Complex is spectacular, if only too spectacular. A skin-deep judgment of the film (i.e. from a trailer) may give you the impression that it's an action conspiracy flick with almost no historical base. The truth is, it's actually about one of the biggest yet mostly unheard of historical events in international history, specifically in Germany. As it states in its trailer(s), Baader Meinhof Complex is about the original "terrorists" and how they can be skewed in stories as being both heroes and villains.

Cinematically, the film is beautifully shot and graced with some spot-on editing. Action sequences are handled exceptionally well, given that most action is actually not too action-oriented. If you're looking for Matrix-caliber highway chases, you won't find them here. Instead, you will find high-tension shootouts between members of the criminal "Red Army Faction" and the police, shootouts that really linger for a while and let suspense take hold.

In addition, dialogue is lengthy at times and may roll to a dull droll, but ultimately, the overall story is handled very well. It can be a bit complex for some (especially since the events were very complicated politically) and many may even see the information influx as an overhaul. At times, this is true; the story gets a bit muddled and the fact that it's a foreign-language film, meaning having to look at the bottom of the screen every 3 seconds or so, doesn't help. Sitting atop the grandeur of complexity sits the 80 zillion or so characters. Mainly, you'll have Andreas Baader (Moritz Bleibtreu), Gudrun Ensslin (Johanna Wokalek, Ulrike Meinhof (Martina Gedeck), Rudi Dutschke (Sebastian Blomberg) and Holger Meins (Stipe Erceg), but in addition, there are a ton of sub-characters that fall below the RAF hierarchy. Then you have the plethora of political figures who play their major parts as well as their relations to several other figures (like even more political leaders and family members) only in addition to the Arabian subset of RAF-helpers. But, the main 5 are really the instrumental pieces to the puzzle, and that's where the film mainly focuses.

It's also a bit difficult to tell whether you may like or dislike the altering views on the RAF; half the time, the RAF heads are made to look like gods, fighting against tyranny and oppression. Then, when looked at from the point of view of the government and average civilian, they are made to look like the most evil of the evil. Essentially, once you get attached and love any given character on the RAF side, their mortality and likability are stripped away by how the news portrays them. Personally, I found this method of character development immensely intriguing. Baader Meinhof Complex examines a lot of themes, and one of the main ones is the role of media in politics, a role that so sharply defines society.

Whether or not you actually pay attention to the subtext, you find the movie to just be a cool and slick type of film...at least for the first half. The RAF builds itself up steadily, slowly gaining new members and carrying out various acts of anti-establishment, then, in a really shocking mid-story climax, the tables are turned and their fall becomes the center of focus. Ironically, for a group that essentially poses anarchy as a way to fight the government, it is soon seen that the heads of such an anarchist group are what led it to greatness in the first place.

There seems to be virtually no real soundtrack to the film, as most moments are covered by dialogue between characters. Transitions are filled with various television and radio broadcasts, feeding the audience tidbits of information on the aftermath and reaction of/to the events that preceded them. This is a rather effect method of story-telling. The film clocks in at an overwhelming 150 minutes, which feels both too long and too short for its subject matter, so it only feels natural that they would include transitional periods coupled with forced information.

Overall, what you get in The Baader Meinhof Complex is a mixed bag that may confuse some, alienate others, but be loved by many. Nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards, it stands tall among American films as a striking revisiting of what could be called the base of modern terrorism. Characters are great yet far too many, the subject is intriguing, the action scenes are tense and the story is fantastic, if only a bit cluttered in some areas. Certainly worth the watch, but don't expect it to be a straight action ride; it's a good mix of intelligent political thriller with crime drama and action interspersed.

8.0/10
-Kyle Shelton

The Orphanage Review: The Lost have been Found

Horror movie after horror movie after horror movie follow the same hackneyed, boring, predictable cliche' antics we've been seeing ever since the dawn of the genre. Things pop out, violins snap, and you jump back in your seat and have a snicker at how freaky that half-a-second was for you. You then leave the movie without a hindrance of a lingering memory...

Then there are certain horror/suspense films that stay with you and have an emotional toll on your senses...El Orfanato (The Orphanage) direct from Spain is such a film.

The story isn't too complicated; it centers around a woman named Laura (Belen Rueda) who returns to her childhood orphanage after she gets married and adopts a son, Simon (Roger Princep) to turn it into a special care home for disabled children. Simon, who had been sheltered most of his life from other children, develops a sense for "imaginary friends" with whom he constantly plays with and alludes to. At first, Laura and her husband, Carlos (Fernando Cayo), both think that its just a phase and he will make friends with the new children that arrive at the home. However, situations with these "imaginary friends" seem to elevate in intensity when Laura realizes that either Simon is getting too psychologically involved with his friends or something else is very very wrong.

What ensues is a strange mystery that links Laura to her past at the orphanage which ultimately leads to the disappearance of Simon. In her struggle to recover him, she unveils a horrible secret and is pushed to her limits in order to get Simon back.

To start off, Rueda gives a powerhouse performance as Laura. Any audience will truly connect both to her emotions and her instincts that she inherently shows. A deep connection is felt between you and her through the screen, and its felt even after the movie is over.

Plot-wise, the story is pretty clever with a decently-written script, but the direction is where the technical aspect of The Orphanage shines. Beautifully and expertly shot in almost every scene, never giving away too much but giving the audience just enough. It dazzles the visual senses and enthralls you into wonder and bewilderment at every turn.

Perhaps the film's greatest success, though, is the horror/suspense of it. In a flood of horribly cheesy and gimmicky horror movies that recycle the same old style and pace, The Orphanage stands out and shines above the rest. Scares in the film are few and far between; this is because the scares are so expertly placed and the true terror you feel lies within you throughout the suspensful scenes. It's not the jumps that get you, it's the atmosphere, which is the hardest part of any horror movie to conceive succesfully.

However, The Orphanage certainly isn't perfect, and this lies within it's dull and drudgy narrative, specifically within the first half of the film. A lot of the eventual plot elements can be predictable and underwhelming, and while the suspense is fantastic and welcomed, it seems to overstay that welcome at times. There's points where you'll find yourself thinking "okay, we get it, its scary and she's upset...something needs to happen."

The second half of the film more than makes up for this, though, with Rueda's incredible visage on-screen, the atmospheric intensity, and the suspensful chills running through your veins. If you're sick of all the "Grudge" and "Ring" ripoffs and you want more than just gore and jumps you can find on YouTube, The Orphanage is a visual and engaging splendor of cinematic prowess. That is, if you can follow the narrative with the promise of a stupendous climax and conclusion. Personally, I'm curious to see where director Juan Bayona will go with his future endeavors and where horror movies as a whole will go with this new bar being set.

8/10

-Kyle Shelton