Vesper

Very nice visual presentation and ideas on the border between early Cronenberg and Alex Garland's Annihilation. Unfortunately, in a story that fails to convey to the viewer what it is about in a clear and meaningful way. I felt intrigued, but not carried away. (56th KVIFF) (07/10/2022)

The creators spare no ambition and present a dense futuristic world in which the protagonist's paralysed father communicates via a flying drone and where, alongside mostly degenerate humans, there are also artificially created individuals. On the surface, the attractive theme is based on The Matrix, Alita: Battle Angel and other science fiction films in which only a chosen person from among the oppressed has the power to overthrow a mysterious absolutist government. Unlike them, however, Vesper focuses on an intimate story with several players and emphasizes the connection with nature, and thus the deepening relationship between man and his synthetic imitation. The actors are decent, the music expressive and the visuals at times on the level of Hollywood blockbusters, although the budget was apparently not enough for lavish attractions, and we mostly find ourselves in forests where life, except for a few technical gadgets, looks like from the distant past. Unfortunately, there is not a single memorable character and the directors copy the traditional overseas style more than they come up with original ideas and unpredictable twists. And shortening it by some fifteen minutes would only benefit this almost two-hour film. (07/02/2022)

I didn't expect much from a sci-fi co-production between Lithuania, France and Belgium, so I was amazed at the ideas and creativity the people behind Vesper came up with within their own fictional world, and what's more, how effectively they show them on screen. The design of the post-apocalyptic landscape and its creatures, which seem to have fallen out of Garland's Annihilation, together with the realistic special effects are at a very decent level for a European genre production. The story, while somewhat conventional, is nonetheless unchallenging at its core and firmly based on very solid performances, among which Richard Brake in particular stands out in a considerably subdued yet brilliantly acted role. For me a little surprise in this year's festival and especially in the otherwise uninteresting main competition section. [KVIFF 2022] (07/22/2022)

In the visual aspect, Vesper offers a rather imaginatively rendered sci-fi dystopia, but in terms of its plot, twists and specific elements strongly inspired by Hollywood narrative techniques, it gets tripped up by narrative naïveté. It tries to appear more spectacular than it can manage, but thanks to its effective tricks and, in places, atmosphere, it is certainly impressive on the European level. Subjectively, however, it is terribly long and verbose; many passages should have been deleted (for example, the compassionate browsing through a picture book with animals could easily have ended after the cat and the owl) and the literally stale final point is also a shame. (07/07/2022)

I was pleasantly surprised. You can tell that the budget was tight, but it paradoxically benefited the film. There was CGI, but my screen wasn't constantly filled with all kinds of digital mess, and there was room for a story, which was not bad at all. If you expect battles with blue and green phasers, lasers, and such, you will be disappointed. The movie relies on a good story (albeit clichéd) and a perfect gloomy atmosphere (courtesy of Lithuania). What disappointed me was the premise about the self-sacrificing cripple, especially since he received food in the same way as I do (although I envied him the worms, my diet is more monotonous). Nevertheless, this peculiar, calmer approach suited me, and I liked the idea of flying Wilson. Definitely worth four stars. / Lesson learned: Are they making fun of you for being a hoarder? One day, you will laugh at them from the top of your tower. (01/13/2023)