5.0 out of 5 stars Ink - Best film in the last 5 years

B. · December 30, 2009

I stumbled accross this film online without any prior knowledge of this film. As I watched, it became obvious that it must be a low budget Indie film. BUT, I am another reviewer that has to say it's probably the best new release I've watched in the last five years.I have to say right off that I believe it's going to be something you either love or hate. In no way would this fit into the generic class of movies dribbling out of hollywood to attract all classes of viewers. Reading through the reviews, both positive and negative, I notice that several of the 1 or 2 star reviews still have positive remarks about this film, but like I say, you will either love it or hate it and it just didn't click with them.If you have a desire for unique, thought provoking, films that drive your inner voice to cheer or feel for the characters, then I highly recommend you give this one a try. Few movies today accomplish the emotional response that this one did for me. Most big budget films are all eye candy visual stimulation lacking any emotional attachment to the characters nor do they have thought provoking storylines.Pros:Minimal dialoge: I for one appreciate a visual story without endless dribble from the actors that make standard movies understandable without even having to WATCH the movie and this film accomplishes it completely. You must pay attention to this one and appreciate the nuances of the visuals to create your own understanding as it progresses. All of it comes together at the finale.Special effects: I felt the special effects to be top notch for such a low budget film. As I watched I assumed it was probably made in the 10s or 20s of millions, not the 250,000 I discovered after the fact. Incredible !!!Acting: With minimal dialoge, the acting becomes a visual function. The look on the brunette's face during the chain reaction seen is exactly as mine must have been as I watched in amazement. I found that all of the main characters were very convincing with there facial cues. The little girl "Emma" seemed as if she were a pro.Music: Perfect fit. Nothing that would live on forever, but high quality.Cinamatography: Angles, lighting, scenes - top notch. As good or better than big budget movies.Cons:The nose,,, mission accomlished. I think it had to be intentional, as I now I realize how much it drew my attention to the Ink character.Simplistic sets: Typical urban streets, nothing flashy. Although I do not necessarily view this as something that was a drawback. Only that it was the first thing that tipped me off that it must have been a low budget film.

5.0 out of 5 stars one of the best films I've ever seen

C.M.M. · September 26, 2010

Seriously. It might not have the special effect of any big Hollywood blockbuster, but it's not a story that needs it either.This may or may not be your kind of movie. "Snakes on a plane" wasn't really my kind of movie either, doesn't mean I'm going to discourage others from trying it out. Everything in "ink" was superb, from the story to the directing to the acting.So my one suggestion is watch it. Definitely watch it for yourself, and decide if this film is for you or not. But seriously watch it all the way through. Everything comes together at the end, everything is explained. So watch it entirely before shutting it off and ranting about how confusing it was so you shut it off. Everything comes together."Ink" is one of the most original, well thought out stories I've ever seen in a film. However, this is a film you can't turn your brain off for, so if you don't like a movie that stimulates your mind along with everything else, then pass it up. Honestly after reading most of the one star reviews, I'm pretty certain that's what the issue was. They wanted a film they didn't have to pay attention to to get or enjoy.Yes, sometimes you want a film you don't have to think about. A no-brainer plot that you can just mindlessly enjoy. This isn't that. This film is brilliant, and original and simply amazing. But you do need to actively watch it or you'll miss its splendor.As for those that commented only the cast and crew are the ones giving this a five star review, that's not true. I wasn't a part of this film. Hell, check the credits and compare it to my name if you don't believe me. I didn't work on this film.But I do have Netflix. I didn't know anything about this film, but noticed it and it caught my attention so I put it in my instant streaming queue. Not knowing much about it, I ignored it for a while, in favor of the number of big studio films I hadn't had a chance to see in theaters. After a few months I finally decided to try this one out, and coming into it not knowing a thing about this film, I would probably have been most set up to be confused by it, if this film was at all confusing. It's not.Just watch it.

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic indie fantasy film

C. · March 2, 2012

Every now and then a film comes along that makes you want to be a better person. This is one of those films. One of the most heart-felt and redemptive stories I've seen in some time. Occasionally, the low budget does show, but what they were able to accomplish on their shoestring budget is actually quite amazing. To be honest, I almost turned it off after the first 30 minutes or so. It takes a little while to get going and for the audience to get a sense of the direction it's heading. A few of the earlier scenes are a little jarring and occasionally cheesy, too. But about half way through the movie there is a scene that stands apart as one of the very best scenes ever put on film. A scene which changes the trajectory of the whole movie and begins to weave the threads together. The climactic scene of the film is another one that just blew me away. I was literally watching it through tears. You'll know these two scenes when you see them. So I implore you to persevere through the first half of the movie as it gets a whole lot better. And the first half of the film is a lot better on subsequent viewings when you know in advance where it's headed. The cinematography is great, most of the performances (especially the main character) are great, the soundtrack is excellent. Overall it's a very well made film, but more than this it's just a very powerful story that needs to be seen... especially if you're a father.

Archetypes Do Battle

G.M.M. · October 7, 2012

Ink is a redemption story set in the land partly in our world of the conscious and partly in the land of the subconscious; the world of those creatures who create bad dreams for us (referred to in the film as Incubus), and those who create good dreams (the Storytellers). The It follows the story of an aggressive high-flying businessman whose estranged young daughter's soul is whisked off by Ink, a Quasimodo-like ogre of a creature, one of pity and dubious repute whose quest is to hand over the child in return for his acceptance as an Incubus. If the businessman can find it within himself to visit the child he no longer considers his own in her hospital bed, he will break the cycle that leads to both of their demises.Side-stepping Goth and Steampunk while retaining elements of both, and landing more or less in the realm of Fairie, Ink is a lush production that despite action and fight scenes retains a gentle, ethereal atmosphere throughout. The characterisation and acting from a largely unfamiliar cast was great; I particularly liked the unflappable Storyteller who accompanies the child Emma into the realm of evil. The evil nightmare-creating Incubus characters with flat, flickering tv-like screens in front of their faces and their evil, perpetual grins were really eerie. Their nemeses, the Storytellers, on their mission to prevent the Incubus getting inside sleeping mortals' heads, were represented more as like elfinesque warriors or perhaps the the archetypal Merry Men-type of Robin Hood's Greenwood.The story itself is a simple, timeless and to be fair, ultimately a predictable tale of a race against time for redemption set within in those realms that exist within sleep of fairie- and folk-lore (and perhaps the world of the mind of those that require redeeming - there are a few hints that the characters could be almost Jungian archetypal figures created by the person who needs them), and more recently much other sci-fi/fantasy fare.However for me it was an excellent and enjoyable excursion, I'd recommend this independent production to anyone who's a fan of this genre.

Ce film est une pure merveille

A. · October 24, 2013

Ok ok, j'ai fauté! J'ai regardé ce film sur internet après en avoir entendu parler je ne sais plus où et n'avoir pas réussi à le trouver dans des centres de distribution habituels. Et pour cause, il n'est jamais paru en France ou dans une autre langue que l'anglais.Qu'à cela ne tienne, j'ai tellement été conquis par ce chef d’œuvre que je me suis dis que je devais tout faire pour marquer mon soutient pour les auteurs. J'ai donc tenté d'acheter ce produit en import, mais il n'est hélas jamais arrivé, je ne sais par quel malheur. J'ai fini par me tourner directement vers la boîte de production aux États-Unis et la livraison a finalement fonctionné.Quoiqu'il en soit, le vendeur m'a intégralement remboursé mon achat infortuné.Peut-être aurez-vous plus de chances que moi?Je vous conseille dans tous les cas vivement de tenter l'expérience. Le visionnage en vaut le coût!

Buenisima pelicula, pero.....

C.A. · March 11, 2019

Una verdadera lastima que no contenga subtitulos, porque si los tuviera andaria cerca de las 5 estrellas

Amo questo film

G. · July 8, 2016

Il film è magnifico.Non è una visione adatta a tutti, è ben curato ma molto particolare, dai tratti onirici e con alcuni attori non professionisti.Non è un film facile o da vedere distrattamente.Tuttavia io l'adoro.Peccato che manchino i sottotitoli, anche quelli in inglese.

Bien

A.R.P. · December 28, 2015

El plazo correcto y la descripción fiel al articulo. La película no tengo ni idea de que va pero la pedí para un amigo