directed by:
Hendrik Cronje, Mari Molefe van Heerden written by: Reine Apocalyptic genre: Drama |
I got all excited for a moment there - Post-apocalyptic is always something I'm interested in, but magic and romance - well… let's say I read the synopsis for "The Forest" and decided I'm probably best off tempering any kind of expectations. This could go either way, folks, so buckle up and let's check this out.
We're quickly introduced to many of the reasons our main character is hiking in "The Forest" alone, some caused by mankind, and others beyond any control. "Humans never respected nature" is a line that stands out as the storyline begins to take shape. I'd have to say I agree on that, but I was less sure about nature being the real cause of a post-apocalyptic scenario as opposed to one big ol' nuke, or several. We're still in a nice, luscious, dense, plant-rich environment at the start of "The Forest," so we kind of have to rule out climate change as being the main catalyst of the apocalyptic aspect, and instead, we have to see how the rest of the many opportunities that we've had to destroy our species come into play. It isn't long before our lone protagonist spies another one in "The Forest," and we're left as curious as he is in wondering whether or not he's simply hallucinating. As the man we come to know as Heinrich rubs his eyes a little bit to get the sandman out of them, we realize that he's definitely not alone - and that there's another someone roaming around amongst the trees with him. It just so happens she's a beautiful lady, and he's a good-looking guy - so I suppose it's time to queue up the romance & begin the arduous task of trying to repopulate the planet. It may not be so easy. Em (Simone Neethling) seems to be about as courageous as a frightened deer at first, though handing her a couple of berries to eat seems to soften her up enough for Heinrich (Ruan Wessels) not to keep scaring her away. Em doesn't speak, however, which creates another interesting layer in this film, which mentions the fact that it's been nearly four years since Heinrich has seen another person. "There's something about her," he says…" she's different." And I'm like, yeah – she's ALIVE, and HERE, and PHYSICALLY REAL – that's gotta be different enough, right? Different from what? The rest of the ghosts of people he used to know? If she's breathing, then yes, she's different – but I'd have to assume that's a good thing after such an absence in companionship. Despite this strange turn of phrase, we know what Heinrich means, and to be completely fair, it's pretty clear that Em is, indeed, different. This chance encounter turns out to be humble, sweet, and charming from the get-go, and we're essentially instantly rooting for these two characters to find their way. To what, or to where, we do not know – but as long as they have each other, things seem to be looking up. I really enjoyed watching their relationship begin to form from the outside looking in. Sure, they might very well be the last two people on Earth as far as we know, but they genuinely do seem like a great pair. Em's warm smile could heat up a tiny village in the wintertime, and Heinrich…well…he might not be too physically imposing, but he does seem like the protective type with good intentions. Seeing them together onscreen is a thing of beauty in itself; they're a remarkably natural fit for each other, and they seem to bond almost instantaneously. It ain't all that long afterwards, though, that Heinrich realizes he's even less alone in "The Forest" than at first he thought, or even after re-evaluating how not alone he was once he'd met Em – there are still MORE people in amongst the trees, and believe it or not, they don't all seem to have the same kind of honourable intentions as our lead character does. A handful of like…extremely creepy dudes come through "The Forest" looking for Em specifically, and you feel that instant hit of panic in the pit of your stomach when they finally catch up to the couple. Samuel (Roderick Jafta) leads this pack of misfits with extremely wild eyes staring at them, and nicely requests that the pair accompany them back to their modest camp out in the middle of nowhere. Rest assured that if it was all so easy from there, this review would already be over – but there's lots more to follow. Any notes for the two Directors, Hendrik Cronje & Mari Molefe van Heerden, or Writer Reine Swart? I'm sure we can come up with a couple of things. I mean…I feel like the most noticeable aspect of this film is the straight-up absence of dirt! Usually, in post-apocalyptic settings, where you're seeing everything revert back to a very rudimentary level, the characters don't quite manage to keep so very clean and coifed, especially when they're just out there in the middle of "The Forest" roaming around without substantial shelter. These characters all look like they started filming right after their laundry was done – but what do I know? Maybe there was a secret pile of clean clothes that fit everyone, and we weren't privy to that particular part of the story - maybe the explanation was in the outtakes or a scene cut for time.
I'm sure you get the point – it's not necessarily going to take you out of the story, but it's the kind of detail that your eyes will likely notice. All-in-all, I'm not complaining, really – I felt like "The Forest" was shot very cleanly, that they found a great cast to bring the characters to the screen, and the supernatural elements added into the story through effects & makeup were also done in a very convincing way. I'll be real with you about not being entirely sure that "The Forest" needed too much beyond the core duo of Heinrich and Em – that's the storyline we're most invested in, but I understand the need for other plot devices, too. I loved the music choices in the film; the scenes that had it were supported by some beautiful sounds and each time we heard some, it made everything else we saw that much more endearing. Credit where credit is due, they've collectively got something interesting and engaging here. Admittedly, as the romance starts to blossom, the movie does start to crawl to a bit of a standstill in the middle for a while, even though it's still fair to say that we're continuing to watch because I think every single one of us is rooting for the relationship between Heinrich and Em to work out. They both deserve a huge share of the credit for why "The Forest" continues to keep us watching. Heinrich is perfect as the stoic & steady guy who just makes you feel safer to be around, and Em…is pure joy, beauty, and curiosity in human form. Simone Neethling is a stunning revelation onscreen and brilliantly uses her expressions to say everything without using a single word – she's absolutely wonderful and undeniable talent. Lord help you if you watch her start to cry, it'll shatter your entire world; she's a master of heartbreaking emotion and could rip your soul in two just by seeing her shed a single tear. Spoiler alert – you might have to go through that at one point, so keeping a box of Kleenex on hand might not be a bad idea at all. Samuel's crew is all competent…at least as far as the acting across the board is concerned, but I reckon it's Jafta who will be identified as the source of stealing the most scenes he's in; he's got a fierce look to him & though he's not in as many scenes as others are, he's created a very memorable character as this movie's villain. He's the only one that can actually communicate with Em effectively, too, in a language that only they know. He's a vital part of the cast & an equally crucial character in the story as we watch and hope that Heinrich and Em will find their way back to each other after being forced apart. It's funny. After what I was hoping for in its post-apocalyptic story & what we got in the romance/drama that ensued – it was the action sequences that made "The Forest" feel a tad longer than it likely should have been, but its ending was a fully satisfying one. I'm going with three & a half stars out of five here. This was a good film. There's no question about that. |
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