I finally had the chance to see this film at a recent film festival. It was one of the entries that I made a point to see, because I was already a fan of the writer/director, Alfredo Salvatore Arcilesi.
All I can really say is, "Wow". Immediately after I watched this film, I felt like I needed to take a shower. Trust me, that's a good thing! I actively seek out films that get under my skin, and affect me on a deeper level, and this film definitely does that. There are so many films out there that try to figure out new and inventive ways to mutilate the human body, that is doesn't even phase me any more. Then along comes a film like "Scent of Rosemary" that gives me shivers, and nightmares, without ever actually showing anything.
The film deals with the subject of child pornography, which for some, is a topic they cannot handle. I myself am the father of a little girl, which is probably another reason this film affected me so deeply. It pulls you into the world of these human monsters, and it's a world you really don't want to be in. And yet, these horrors are happening right now, all around us. These men don't look like monsters. They look like your neighbor, the local shopkeeper, the guy who mows your lawn, etc. This, to me, is even more profoundly disturbing.
Without showing anything remotely graphic, Arcilesi pulls us into the minds of these disturbed men, and what they are up. There are only three characters, and their interactions builds towards a shattering climax that kicked me right in the gut. Again, maybe it has something to do with having a young daughter, but I think that this taboo subject matter is still something we are all horrified by.
The acting in this film is amazing. I really did not like these characters, and the actors really sold that. The writing and direction were also excellent.
If you can find this film, see it immediately. If it affects you the way it affected me, you'll still be thinking about it long after the last image fades to black.
All I can really say is, "Wow". Immediately after I watched this film, I felt like I needed to take a shower. Trust me, that's a good thing! I actively seek out films that get under my skin, and affect me on a deeper level, and this film definitely does that. There are so many films out there that try to figure out new and inventive ways to mutilate the human body, that is doesn't even phase me any more. Then along comes a film like "Scent of Rosemary" that gives me shivers, and nightmares, without ever actually showing anything.
The film deals with the subject of child pornography, which for some, is a topic they cannot handle. I myself am the father of a little girl, which is probably another reason this film affected me so deeply. It pulls you into the world of these human monsters, and it's a world you really don't want to be in. And yet, these horrors are happening right now, all around us. These men don't look like monsters. They look like your neighbor, the local shopkeeper, the guy who mows your lawn, etc. This, to me, is even more profoundly disturbing.
Without showing anything remotely graphic, Arcilesi pulls us into the minds of these disturbed men, and what they are up. There are only three characters, and their interactions builds towards a shattering climax that kicked me right in the gut. Again, maybe it has something to do with having a young daughter, but I think that this taboo subject matter is still something we are all horrified by.
The acting in this film is amazing. I really did not like these characters, and the actors really sold that. The writing and direction were also excellent.
If you can find this film, see it immediately. If it affects you the way it affected me, you'll still be thinking about it long after the last image fades to black.
