King of the Hill (2009)

Widescreen Edition DVD

Wow... Just wow... That's all I can really say right now.

Once in awhile, a film like this comes along that deserves so much more recognition than it's received, or that it's even going to received. A film that works on such a basic, instinctive level that it remains with the viewer long after the credits are done rolling. Granted, this is not a revolutionary film, but it's just been so damn long since I watched a movie that had my eyes so glued to the screen that they were nearly ripping out of their sockets. But this is what I love about a film-its capability to surprise. And I must say that King of the Hill not only surprised me with its plot devices; it also surprised me in the absolutely gorgeous way it handled itself on a technical level as well.

The plot is as basic as can be... When a disheveled has a brief romantic tryst with a younger woman, he assumes that everything's fine and dandy when they part ways... And then he can't find his wallet... Presuming the worst, he sets out to find her and reclaim his stolen goods. Oh, if only things could be that easy... Sadly, by initiating this reclamation, he also becomes a reluctant player in a game of life and death, where he must join forces with the klepto-femme against camouflaged hunters trying to make them their newest, blood-soaked trophies.

So yeah, that's pretty much it, but the execution of it all is simply stunning. I hate saying something as clich&#233 as that, but dammit, it is. It truly is a beautiful thing when a storyteller or a filmmaker, can take something so basic and do SO much with it. For the first portion of the film, the camera work is subtle and patient, allowing for longer shots that develop the moment of a scene, rather than just the sheer intensity. Along with this, at integral points, such as close-up shots, the camera focuses in and out of its subject, allowing the frame to not only become awash in light (which makes the shot look just grand), but it also adds all the more weight to how a character is feeling at that point in time. Whether they're trying to evade rifle-shots penetrating the thick autumn woods, or forcing themselves to somehow crawl out of a rocky hole, the film does an amazing job of making you understand what the characters are going through-mentally and physically.

For the last half of the film, the direction takes an absolutely brilliant turn. Through an event that had me slowly leaning closer towards the television screen, the movie not only revealed its gun-toting antagonists for who and what they are, but it also displayed the ingenuity coursing through the filmmaker's heads. Since the focus of the film has shifted-now that we've finally seen what's behind the entire ordeal-the look and feel of the film completely shifts to suit this. No longer does the film solely rely on medium-to-long static shots with the occasional hand-cam run; but now, the director beings implementing first person style shots, various chase shots (you know the kind-where the camera is practically locked onto the actor as they book it everywhere), and more. It's a truly brilliant maneuver because of how appropriate it is. The focus of the movie has changed, so with it-the style of filming. Because of this, the first half of the film compels you to watch. And the second half? Well, it makes it mandatory.

There's so much more I want to say about this technical flip-flop simply because of the reasoning for it and what it means for the characters that it's focusing on. Alas, I'd much rather have readers of this review and viewers of this movie thinking about that. So, please when you watch it; think about it too-what's going on, what the villains are doing, etc... It adds all the more credibility as to why the filmmakers chose the shots the way they did.

Because of the style chosen by the filmmakers (directors Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego and Stewart St. John, as well as writer Javier Gullon), the intensity is built on all the more. This lends itself perfectly to the violence because it never feels gratuitous by any means. It's sudden, fierce and direct to the point. The viewer only has enough time as the protagonists do to calculate what's just happened before the scene switches. Once again, the execution shines here. Most genre films such as this are SO obsessed with showcasing atrocious acts of carnage that they completely lose sight of what makes violence so terrifying. Having the camera zoom in on all amounts of gore and blood-shed is not scary. It's juvenile and lends nothing to the viewer other than desensitization. Not only that, but it shows where the filmmakers hearts and minds are for matters regarding this. King of the Hill stays true to itself by placing realism and emotional weight to all of the violent acts at hand... You're caught off guard by it-shocked by it. Not dropping your jaw over how "cool" all of the barbarism is.

Even the music is beautiful! While it doesn't permeate the entire film, when it kicks in, IT KICKS IN. For the most part, the score is used for emotionally draining moments-not action scenes (though it has some for that as well). I love just sitting down and listening to composers like Michael Nyman, John Murphy and Clint Mansell; so after hearing this film's soundtrack... Well, I believe I have a new composer to look out for. Really, it's just not often that you watch a film where the musical aspect was just important as the visual one as well. Heck, even the audio drains out as character's run away from the camera. And no, this isn't a problem with the film's audio by any means, it's just another matter of realism (if you watch it, hopefully you'll understand).

Characters are also well developed for the time they're on screen. The film's lead character named Quim, is well... Kind of a coward. His lady-friend, Bea, is a shy little fire-cracker. And everyone else? Well I don't want to give anything away, but for the time they're on, they are all appropriately developed for what the film is trying to do and address. Even as simply as I described the two protagonists above, it all comes down to execution, and like everything else, it's handled expertly.

If there's a slight negative to the whole thing, it's that another film under the same Dimension Extreme label entitled, "Eden Lake" dealt with the same sort of dilemma. While both deal with a main issue that's been developing in everyday society for a long time, the executions of each couldn't be more different. Even still, this might be a negative for some people when they discover King of the Hill's main conflict, thinking that this is just a copycat.

This film is not going to gain a mass audience. In fact, it's going to be neglected in favor of hollow theatrical films of the same nature. That, and it doesn't help that the Dimension Extreme label isn't known for subtlety-what with films like "Inside" and "Automaton Transfusion". King of the Hill is a simple movie that once again brings to light issues that have been addressed in other movies (like the aforementioned Eden Lake), but for what it does, it does perfectly. Bravo.

Sorry, nothin' here.

Because I haven't said "beautiful" or "brilliant" enough...

I know people won't see this film the same way I do, but I honestly couldn't be happier with what this it did. It took something basic and built on it to a beautifully brilliant degree... Especially the finale.