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Roulette (2012)
One hell of a shocker, destined for greatness
As story lines go, you probably presume you know how the game of Russian Roulette is played out on film after having seen the intensity portrayed by Christopher Walken in "The Deer Hunter", grimacing when pulling the trigger on the pistol held to his head.
Now think about the most horrific scene you've ever witnessed on film, one that sticks with you to this day like a roundhouse punch to the gut: was it the fire hydrant scene in "Irreversible", the clitoris scene in "Antichrist", or perhaps it was the crib scene in "Trainspotting"... Got it?
Now combine the films and add a twist or three.
Such is the case in "Roulette" where Erik Kristopher Myers and Company elevate film craft and the art of storytelling to a new dimension - albeit one with an unexpected, unsparing and nonpareil slap to the viewer's psyche in the film's penultimate scene; one produced deliberately to appear to seem as an achingly long panorama of earth shattering protracted gore, which in all reality is but a few ticks on the second hand of time in the film. Rarely if ever does one view in cinema a scene so horrific, yet brutally honest, that it remains absolutely necessary and indispensable to the film's essence.
Viewer reaction at the crux of the film is one of almost universal revulsion due to the scene's gruesome, gritty, brutal honesty, leaving the film goer longing for a satisfying coda, wherein this young auteur does not disappoint.
I say _BRAVO_ to filmmakers such as these for completely engaging the audience, and wish Erik Kristopher Myers "Roulette" it's actors and production team the accolades they deserve, bidding them good fortune and the bright future they deserve.