The Mystery of the RABBIT TRAP

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Digital such as Apple TV, Fandango, Prime Video and more from writer/director Bryn Chainey, Magnet and Magnolia Pictures is the journey with the RABBIT TRAP.

Darcy (Dev Patel) and wife Daphne (Rosy McEwen) have left the London life finding a cottage in the isolated forest of Wales. Spending time together, the couple who look for acoustic inspiration, they record the sound of the world that they find interesting for art. One afternoon Darcy finds a faerie circle that has drawn him in with the unusual sound frequencies. When he comes to after not understanding what has happened, he sees a young child (Jade Croot) who claims he lives nearby and was drawn to Daphne’s music. The boy enjoys being around Darcy and Daphne and makes it a point to visit their cottage often.

In the meantime, Darcy is having strange dreams and Daphne is aware that something is bothering him. She also embraces the young child taking who takes into the forest and shows what he knows about the natural world. Darcy wonders what the child is doing to the couple with shadows, whispers and changes that are dangerous with his pushing of boundaries. There is a psychological event happening to the couple and Daphne is starting to understand her husband’s worries.

When it comes time to face every moment that has happened, Darcy and Daphne try to find a way to embrace their lives and the spiritualness of the forest around them.

Patel as Darcy is a man who is plagued by a sadness that haunts his nights. He loves his wife and all the things they do together, especially going into the forest and recording the sounds. When the boy comes into his life, it is almost as if Patel’s Darcy can not hide his past at all without the whisperings being as strong as his nightmares. I have long been a Patel-fan and adore that he takes risks in all the roles he plays. In this film he dares to allow this bit of a thriller to expose, at it were, his emotional range in the turmoiled world that is created unexpectedly.

McEwen as Daphne is a woman who is just as creative as husband Darcy as they share the wonder of sound. She gets a bit emotional not totally understanding what causes his pain but the love is absolutely there. When the child comes into their life, Daphne is enjoying their experiences together but the relationship has moments where she wonders what is controlling everything. McEwen gives the same intensity as the script asks of her and pairing with Patel is really beautiful.

Croot as the young child is charming and innocent looking but there is something under the surface. There are moments of jaw drops as Croot gives a performance that is truly stunning, ethereal, dark and made me jump once or twice. As the story goes deeper down the rabbit hole, Croot ramps up the intensity until the very last scene.

Magnolia Pictures is responsible for such releases as SLAY THE DRAGON, JOHN LEWIS: Good Trouble, the crime thriller THE WHISTLERS, documentaries such as THE PIECES I AM and films such as the directorial debut of Italian filmmaker Filippo Meneghetti. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.magpictures.com.

Magnet Releasing specializes in films from the vanguard of horror, action, comedy, and Asian cinema. It is also the home of classics like Tomas Alfredson’s LET THE RIGHT ON IN, Ti West’s THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL, Andre Ovredal’s TROLLHUNTER, Neil Marshall’s sword and sandals bloodbath CENTURION and Tony Jaa’s ONG BAK trilogy. To find out more of what is to come please visit www.magnetreleasingfilms.com.

The film debuted at Sunday and RABBIT TRAP was nominated for Best International Feature Film and Best European Fantastic Feature Film by the Festival Europeen du Film Fantastique de Strasbourg (FEFFS). The score for the film done by Lucrecia Dalt was inspired by electronic musicians Delia Derbyshire and Daphne Oram. It is a stand out in the film absolutely offering another layer to the story that Chainey was telling.

Using the Welsh folklore or the tylwyth teg that is drawn to children is a reason to want to dig deeper into it all. Chainey uses the fairy ring of mushrooms and milk to bring myth to the forefront of the story. I loved every moment of the mythology being show in such a dark way and the effects of humans. Producing the film is a list of names that are recognizable with Elijah Wood, Daniel Noah, Lawrence Inglee, Elisa Lleras, Alex Ashworth and Sean Marley.

This is the type of mystery/fright/mythology films that I have to have popcorn with. The story moves at its own pace, like the pace of the forest and surrounding nature giving moments to stop and take it all in. It is beautiful, ethereal and also filled with secrets and shadows that will reveal themselves when least expected. I enjoyed the pace of the film, loved the setting and keeping the cast to Patel, McEwen and Croot was nothing short of astounding.

In the end – folklore follows them home!

 

 

 

VESPER

 

Jeri Jacquin

Currently in theatres from directors Kristina Buozyte, Bruno Samper and IFC Films is the futuristic look at our world with VESPER.

Vesper (Raffiella Chapman) is a very young girl living in the future that has such little hope. Humanity has ruined the earth as viruses and organisms have wiped out plants, animals and human beings as well. Scavenging for something to eat before a minute-by-minute existence. Living outside of the places called ‘citadels’, medical treatments are unheard of and seeds are traded with the oligarchy who live in the enclosed cities.

Vesper’s father Darius (Richard Brake) is hooked up to gadgets created by the young girl to keep him alive. Her only means of communicating with him is a floating drone that speaks what Darius is thinking. Another worry Vesper has is Jonas (Eddie Marsan), an uncle who wants to control all the kids treating them as his followers and they do what he commands and he wants Vesper.

A ship crashes close to Vesper’s home and in the wreckage, she finds Camellia (Rosy McEwen) and feels an almost instant kindship with her. She is in the same predicament in that the people of the citadel wants her captured. Vesper shares with Camellia that she may have the scientific answer to the plight of humanity.

Now, not only does Jonas want it, but those in the Citadel will destroy everything in order to get it as well.

Chapmans as Vesper gives her character so many levels of emotions. From shy and quiet, to intelligent and inventive – it is a range of everything in between. She is a survivor not only for herself, but for Darius as well and that puts a double strain on her to keep avoiding her twisted uncle. I enjoyed watching Chapmans performance because it felt done with such ease and coming from such a young actress, that is saying something. She made her own story flow within the tragedy of the entire world. So very well done.

McEwen as Camellia is also living with fear, except hers is slightly different than Vesper’s. She understands the love the young girl has for her father but Camellia also offers something Vesper has not had before – the love of someone who truly understands her. I enjoyed watching that side of their relationship grow.

Marsan as Jonas is just evil on so many levels. Turning the kids into his slaves and a personal vicious army makes Jonas ripe for something bad to happen but he always seems to just miss out. Marsan has always made playing bad guys with clean hands part of his acting repertoire as it should since he is amazing at it.

Brake as Darius is a man barely alive but for his daughter’s serious intelligence. His facial expressions are everything without ever having to say a word.

Other cast include Marijus Demiskis as Med, Markas Eimontas as Mo, Edmund Dehn as Elias, Matvej Buraykov as Boz, Titas Rukas as Beck, Markas Sagaitis as Fitz and Melanie Gaydos as Jug.

IFC Films is a leading distributor of quality talent-driven independent films. Some of the company’s successes include BOYHOOD, FRANCES HA, MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING, Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN, TOUCHING THE VOID, CHE, TINY FURNITURE and CARLOS. For more information on films from IFC please visit www.ifcfilms.com.

VESPER is a dark and dreary look at the world that is slowly giving up on itself. Living in the citadel buys time but, to my way of thinking, only a little more than those surviving outside the bubble. It is the mind of this young girl, who thinks outside of the ugliness surrounding her, to find the answer.

And with that comes those who want to take what you have for themselves. Vesper is a fighter to be sure, and no one could possible see that from her. That was their first mistake. This character sees life when others have given up and have turned savage in their own attempt to survive. That is what I love about Vesper, she sees what is going on around her yet instead of falling into it, she does everything to avoid it.

This New Dark Age presented by these two directors is a tad predictable yet, and let me be clear, that’s okay with me. The story is what is captivating as the journey of this young girl takes us step by step, left and right and even a few zig zags to get to the ending. It is easy to become a Vesper cheerleader because with everything she did and could potentially do, there is that piece of us that wants her to be the one that saves the world.

In the end – one seed can change everything!