Simply A Masterpiece

It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

"The Facts in the Case of Mister Hollow" is a really long title for a fairly short movie. This one only runs for slightly over 6 minutes and a lot of this is also the ending credits already. Writer and one of the two directors of this Canadian production is Rodrigo Gudiño. He got some nice awards attention that may have helped him with future projects. I cannot second this though. I did not think it was a particularly good movie and I found it not memorable at all. 2/5 is still pretty generous in my opinion. It was not scary, always bad for a film from the horror genre, and neither the action nor the characters were really interesting I have to say. The best thing about it was probably that it was over so quickly and I really hope Gudiño managed to improve in the almost 10 years since this was made. I do not recommend the watch.

I can't describe this movie too much, because anything will give it away. It's a very short film, but there's ridiculous amounts of depth to it.The entire movie is an exercise in interpretation and inference. I saw it this weekend at Texas Frightmare Weekend and got to talk to the director one on one after. The DVD contains two other shorts, and they are solid, but nothing like this movie that forces you to tell the story to yourself spark your imagination.I could never have guessed what I was getting into when my buddy insisted we go see his screening, but I am still totally excited that we did. If Rodrigo Gudino has this kind of vision and creativity, he'll soon be listed as one of the greats. Whether or not you like this or his other two movies is completely your opinion, but give it a shot, because I guarantee that it will be different. This day and age, that is hard to come by.

Total spoilers in this review.This is a short film that centers entirely on examining a still photograph. Except that it is animated and the photo has layers of depth. It's difficult to describe, but the photo looks like it is from the early 1900's with the amber tinting. We get a wide shot of the entire photo, then the camera moves in fluidly and zooms through layers of trees and around the dimensions of the photo to reveal details that are visually exciting, but also add layers of mystery as to what is going on.The photo is fairly simple at first glance--it seems to be several family members posing outside near their car. One man is kneeling down with a box of matches, ready to strike one. A couple poses with the bride holding what appears to be a newborn baby. One of the more ominous features of the photo is the look on the woman's face--confusion mixed with terror. The ending shows a close-up of the reflection in one character's sunglasses. Again, big spoiler here: it appears to be a witch/demon-like figure removing a hood to show her sinister face.I'm not sure it all adds up, but it is an interesting excercise. The director had done an earlier short called "The Eyes of Edward James," which also utilizes an unusual storytelling device. However, by the end of that piece, I felt like I had an idea of what might have happened. If there is an actual back-story to "Mr. Hollow," I can't piece it together or find any information on it. But the visuals are memorable and amazing.

I saw this tonight, during Nuit Blanche in Montreal at the Fantasia/DJ XL5 show at Place des Arts, and it just blew me away. I wanted to find it on YouTube, or even for sale, but no such luck. Now I want all of my film-fanatic friends to see it.I very much enjoyed the way it was shot, and the general feel of it all. The music was just plain awesome, and really worked well with the general aesthetic.Hopefully it will be made available in some way or another in the near future, as I'd love to watch it again.And congrats on the Genie nomination!