The 2021 American thriller, The Djinn, is a perfect example of a full-featured movie that could be much more effective as a short film. However, its good-looking poster artwork and enticing tagline, “what is done cannot be undone”,  promised much more than the film was able to deliver to its audience.

The flick’s premise is simple, with its cliché ridden–plot, props, and production design as a whole. Dylan Jacobs (Ezra Dewey) is a twelve-year-old mute boy who has recently moved into a new house with his father (Rob Brownstein).

Left alone one night, Dylan starts exploring the house and stumbles upon a weird antique book with the peculiar title:  Book of Shadows. In the book, Dylan reads a passage that promises that if one completes a simple ritual, it will summon a demonic spirit of desire known as Djinn, who will grant one wish for anyone who manages to survive an hour in his presence. Curious and enthralled, Dylan decides to give it a try hoping that the Djinn can fulfil his greatest desire and grant him a voice of his own.

From this moment on in the film, viewers should buckle up alongside Dylan as he experiences an evening of fright and survival. Or at least that’s what one would hope for and expect anyway. But, unfortunately, the many flaws in the film soon become apparent. The story drags on and on, the space in which the action takes place is very confined, and the happening itself causes a sense of boredom, which is not even salvaged by the filmmaker’s predictable attempt at waking up the viewer with the help of jump scares.

The only redeeming quality of the film is the acting of the young Ezra Dewey, who practically carries the whole movie, appearing in just about every scene and showcasing his acting talent by portraying a mute boy relying on the emotions reflected on his face.

But, unfortunately, it all feels like a game of Hide and Seek with the Djinn, which could have worked in a 15-minute film, but was utterly boring in the 82 minutes of screen time devoted to the plot.

The Djinn feels like an R rated Home Alone, but the truth is you’d be better off watching Home Alone once again rather than wasting your time watching this film.

Trailer

The Djinn (2021)

In short

Despite superb acting by its young protagonist, The Djinn is a too long attempt at being scary that would have been better as a short film.

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2

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Attaining perfect obedience? Can this be an honourable goal for anyone? Is a goal worth pursuing?!? …

The Mexican director Luis Urquiza explores various horrid ways to lose one`s innocence, sacrificing the latitude to make one’s own decisions and betray trust.

Based on real events, the story in Perfect Obedience focuses on the experiences of 13-year-old Julian (Sebastian Aguirre), who attains attendance at a seminary to prepare him for the priesthood. The first scenes convey a sense of idealism — as if to portray the bliss of childhood, surrounded by people who genially care and love you.

Like in Pedro Almodovar’s 2004 film Bad Education (which also has a similar narrative), the blissful depiction of innocence and happiness is achieved through the use of lighting, attention to details and choice of locations. Immersed in this heavenly atmosphere, the viewer is being prepared for the protagonist’s inevitable loss of his ideal world….

a goal no one should pursue ….

Initially, I was led to believe that the film would be inspirational – like the 1962 film Almost Angels – the difference being that the young protagonist in Perfect Obedience is to become a priest instead of a member of a renowned choir.

Julian joins the seminary and faces challenges common to children facing a change in their lives, such as a new school and new acquaintances – some friendly, others not. That`s life! While separated from the external world, the boys who study for the priesthood have the exact wishes and desires as any other kid, which often leads them into mischief. In this regard, I’m reminded of another film about youth in a religious environment: Peter Care`s The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys.

The priests who form the seminary faculty appear ready to offer spiritual help and guidance and teach religion with a passion. They encourage the young boys to be courageous and express themselves freely. Yet, it becomes clear that the ultimate goal of some is to attain the perfect obedience of their pupils.

Even before watching the film, the viewer may become wary of what the term “perfect obedience” means upon seeing the quote from the Bible featured on a poster prominently displayed on the film’s cover. From Matthew 7:15, “Beware of the false teachers–men who come to you in sheep’s fleeces, but beneath that disguise, they are ravenous wolves”.

In addition to the beautiful cinematography, one of the best features of this film is its soundtrack, which offers a diverse selection of vibes that accompany the scenes: religious hymns, melancholic piano, Spanish Rock and even a song performed by The Rolling Stones. Add to that the film`s theme – a song that bears much of the responsibility for the sense of uneasiness in the viewers …

Perfect Obedience Trailer

Perfect Obedience is not lacking in clichés in addressing its controversial subject matter. But the film doesn’t make its judgements but instead leaves such moral judgments to the viewer. One doesn’t realise it, but the stronger emotions and reflections on what is shown occur after rather than during the film’s screen time. There is nothing graphically shown in the film but, rather, only implied. The finale, so unlike the typical happy endings of most American productions, ensures that the viewer will become disturbed …yet willing to make a contribution toward change.

While Perfect Obedience is not poignant and heart-wrenching like Aisling Walsh`s 2003 film Song for a Raggy Boy,  it intrigues enough to keep the viewer’s attention — making use of philosophical and religious thoughts introduced as voice-over narrative. Sebastian Aguirre’s character is present in almost all of the film’s scenes since the story is mainly presented through his eyes – following his loss of innocence on his way to achieving perfect obedience. It’s a goal no one should pursue ….

Perfect Obedience (2014)

In short

The story of a 13-year-old boy who attains attendance at a seminary to prepare him for the priesthood.

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3.2

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Chicken Boy, pitched as a “dark coming-of-age story”, opens in a disturbing, yet promising manner. But the story’s effectiveness is subsequently brought down by abrupt editing and a somewhat puzzling narrative structure.

The film’s young protagonist, Jacob (Charlie Koehnen), is subjected to bullying in school and neglect at home – the metaphors utilized in the film to symbolize his struggle to deal with the psychological turmoil he’s experiencing are not grasped easily by the viewer.

This is partly offset by the facial expressions of Charlie Koehnen – for whom Chicken Boy is only the second film he’s made in his young life. In an interview for New York No Limits, Chicken Boy‘s director, Kayla Arend, summarized the film’s theme as “ … a creative exploration of toxic masculinity, the lack of gun control and mental health support within the United States”. But while the director’s stated goals for the film are ambitious, most viewers will not be able to pinpoint those motifs within the narrative.

Chicken Boy (2019)

In short

Chicken Boy, described as a "dark coming-of-age story", has great acting but suffers from a weak narrative.

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Reader Rating1 Vote

2.3

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Based on real events, the 2020 Italian film Padrenostro tells the story of 10-year-old Valerio (Mattia Garaci), whose life is turned upside down when he witnesses the attack on his father (Pierfrancesco Favino) by a group of terrorists.

Padrenostro offers much more than mere escapist entertainment.

It may take more than one viewing to grasp the story’s nuances, but the beautiful aesthetics and exemplary cinematography more than compensate for the time invested.

Beautiful aesthetics and exemplary cinematography

The deliberately slow pacing of the film allows the viewer to invest in the world of the film’s protagonist. As with most Coming-of-Age narratives, it’s essential to grasp the development of his character and the motivations behind his actions to fully appreciate the development of his character arc.

Cinematographically, the film is a real masterpiece. The cinematic techniques help fill in details about the life of the young Valerio , such as a scene of the boy as he is made to stand in front of his class. At the same time, his father is proclaimed a hero by their teacher, with a highly stylized zoom out transmiting a sense of isolation or selective focus That technique is used in other scenes to achieve the same effect.

Friendship unbound

Before meeting Christian (Francesco Gheghi), Valerio thinks of his father as his only friend in the world, which explains why he is so shaken after the terrorist attempt against him.  If anything were to happen to his father, Valerio would be in danger of being alone in the world.

The character of Christian is intriguing – an older friend whose presence and influence reflects on the ten year old Valerio in a liberating manner. However, due to his sudden appearance in the younger boy’s life, and his persistence to remain part of it, the viewer may never shed a suspicion about Christian’s motives for befriending him.

Acting Performance

Many of the scenes are felt poignantly as the camera points directly at the young actor’s face. In one scene, we feel as if we can peer into his eyes. In others, we read his emotions directly– no words needed. This speaks volumes about the talent of Mattia Garaci and that of the director who has managed to extract such an emotive performance from the young actor. Fortunately enough that’s the case, as Mattia is present in almost every scene of the film – a fact that devotees of Coming-of-Age cinema will greatly appreciate.

Whereas it is doubtful that many viewers will be able to identify with the film’s protagonist due to the specifics of his family situation, and the time period in which the action is set, identifying with his experience of finding a real friend is plausible. I could not help but notice a few of Charles Dickens’s influences on the narrative of Padrenostro as the streetwiseness of Christian and the naïve/good-natured Valerio reminds one of the Artful Dodger and Oliver Twist. Friendship turns into a central theme of the film. And, while some viewers may miss the significance of the opening scene in that regard, it is easily graspable upon repeated viewing.

The Musical Score

The musical score predominately comprises a mixture between classical pieces and Italian songs– either subtle or rousing as the scene requires. More frequently than not, the sound is used to create suspense, raising the tension toward an expected major event, an event that never really materializes. But despite the fact that nothing that dramatic happens, the fact that one expects for it to happen makes one more attentive to the story. The end result is a better understanding of the characters by better gauging their emotions as the result of that increased attention.

Padrenostro lacks the dynamics of other recent Italian Coming-of-Age dramas such as Stolen Days (Original title: Il ladro di giorni), but the viscous fluidity of the action more than compensates for that.  Essentially the film is about childhood, with organized crime (a theme ever-present in some of the best Italian narratives) assuming a background position.

The production design, cinematography, camerawork, musical score, and acting – all of the cinematic elements combined – result in a powerful portrayal of growing up in a tense environment and overcoming the trials and tribulations of life. Padrenostro is an excellent Coming-of-Age drama whose only flaw is the unnecessarily long screen time.

Trailer 

Padrenostro (2020)

In short

The production design, cinematography, camerawork, musical score, and acting of Padrenostro – all of the cinematic elements combined – result in a powerful portrayal of growing up in a tense environment.

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Reader Rating4 Votes

4.8

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