REVOLT

INDIE GEM

 

Film Review by FIORE

One of the best joys for a film critic is to uncover an Indie film that surpasses many of the Hollywood blockbusters.  This happened recently when I watched REVOLT.  The movie has a good story, cinematography and presents one of the hardest genres for an Indie production.

Directed and written by Joe Miale, REVOLT begins with an intense battle sequence.  An explosion knocks Bo, played by Lee Pace, unconscious and when he awakes, he has lost a portion of his memory.  He knows he is a soldier, and he must continue to fight, but he doesn’t know who he is fighting for, nor who he is fighting against.  He encounters Nadia, played by Berenice Marlohe, who plays a French foreign aid worker and together they attempt to restore Bo’s memory and survive against an alien onslaught.  

Indie films often suffer from limited budgets and production limitations, so creating a science-fiction Indie film is near impossible.  REVOLT does it with aplomb.  The film looks good, and even the SFX are credible thanks to Production Designer Victor Botha.   It is expertly edited to 87 minutes, despite the use of two editors, Evan Schiff and Vincent Tabaillon.  While the story is not groundbreaking, it is solid.  The cinematography is probably REVOLT’s greatest asset.  Karl Walter Lindenlaub (one of the dreaded three name people) incorporates a plethora of off angle shots to give the film a favorable look.

REVOLT has an interesting release platform.  It was available on one of the satellite services one month before its theatrical release.  The unique element is the delay of the theatrical release.  Simultaneous release dates are successful, but it only stands to reason availability on the home market, though limited, must curtail box office returns.

I enjoyed watching REVOLT and found it surprisingly entertaining.  This is a true Indie gem, and one you don’t want to miss.