When analyzing the film “Vatican Records”, critics leave mostly mournful reviews, mostly not even talking about the shortcomings of a particular film, but about the problem of the genre as such.
The problem of the genre
Horrors in the 21st century do not live and do not die - rather, they really exist. Genre innovations have long been gone. You won’t surprise the modern viewer with the style of moquimentaries (pseudo-documentary manner of presentation), and after it the filmmakers did not offer anything extremely new and radical. However, there are some moviegoers who thank the people who created the Vatican Records (their reviews are rather sarcastic) for not making the viewer follow the events for two hours that were allegedly shot accidentally on a telephone or surveillance camera.
Plot
The review about the film “Vatican Records” by the domestic film critic Boris Khokhlov calls the narrative of the film another banal story about obsession, indicating that the movie does not save even the lively visual style from the creator of Adrenaline. According to the plot, on her 25th birthday, the main character - a young girl Angela (Olivia Dudley) - accidentally seriously injures her finger. Her boyfriend Pete (John Patrick Amedori) and father (Dougray Scott) take the victim to the hospital, and from that moment the girl begins to change. For some time, the heroine is watched by a former military, and now a priest, father Lozano (Michael Pena), who gradually comes to the conclusion that Angela is obsessed.
Heroes turn to the Vatican for help. Rereading a short description of the plot of the film, you can make sure that the viewer is really a classic template story about a demonic obsession. This is exactly what the Vatican Records characterize by the reviews of the audience.
Debut in "solo" direction
Director Mark Neveldine, until recently, was half the creative duo Taylor-Neveldine, which at one time quite vigorously declared itself in the movie industry with the implacable Adrenaline. After the triumph, Adrenaline-2, Phantom Racer-2, and Gamer followed, which did not live up to their expectations, so the duo broke up. It is no coincidence that the Vatican Records reviews of the film are called Neveldine’s debut in solo direction. Although the independent work of the director can hardly be called successful. The story underlying the script is stereotyped, and during viewing it seems that the energy gushing Neveldine vaguely guesses what needs to be done with the material of the film. All the techniques of an energetic, cheeky, expressive director are contraindicated for such a horror.
Reviews and reviews of the film “Vatican Records” are full of remarks: where you need to immobilize the camera and pause, as if peering into the darkness (escalating suspense), Mark Neveldine is experimenting with unusual shooting angles and color filters. The result is a chic, visually expressive stylish clip that is pleasant to watch, but not a bit scary.
Writers' searches
Every second review about the film “Vatican records” criticizes the work of the scriptwriters of the picture. They accuse K. Borrelli, M.S. Martin, K. Morgan of negligence. Indeed, the script of the film literally bursts at the seams, while all the attention of the director goes to the visual "packaging". The viewer has already seen everything that the scriptwriters offer in Omen, The Exorcist, The Rite, The Last Exile, The Devil’s Hand, and The Obsessed. At the same time, quite important and significant segments in the story are “swallowed”, the characters get up strange and non-logical things. For example, the behavior of an exorcist at the climax is simply insane. After viewing the painting “Vatican Records”, reviews of the film by ordinary spectators-townsfolk indicate an excessive strain, characterizing it as pathos in the picture of an inappropriate spill. There is no academism in it, as in The Exorcist, - the pathos in the Neveldine project is surreal and hooligan.
Cast
The cast of the film “Vatican Records” received positive reviews from critics and viewers: no one put forward special complaints. Each of the performers got the opportunity to show their acting skills. Even Dugrey Scott (The History of Eternal Love), familiar to the viewer from the roles of villains, looked in the role of a caring and loving father surprisingly organically.
He brilliantly dealt with the party of his father, Lozano, Michael Peny ("To Hell and Back"), who now and then experimented with changing roles. Jimon Hunsu (Blood Diamond, Gladiator), Michael Pare and Peter Anderson (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) complemented the star ensemble. The most vivid and exciting image of the obsessed main character was created by Olivia Taylor Dudley. The reliability of her play is the best confirmation of the presence of an actress of outstanding dramatic talent. One of the secondary roles went to the Russian actor and singer Alexei Vorobyov (“Suicides”, “Deffchonki”).
Summary
It is impossible to categorically assert that the Vatican records (critics' reviews can be set aside) are not at all catchy. After watching the movie, there are separate snatches of emotions, memorized successful plans, such as where the main character sits in the attic in the rays of light, and also the impressive wall-mounted Olivia Dudley, who will soon appear in the next part of the “Paranormal phenomenon”. Perhaps the main role in the movie Neveldyna will become a turning point for the actress and direct her straight to the top of the Hollywood Olympus.