She is About to Discover THE COLONY

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres, VOD and Digital from writer/director Tim Fehlbaum, Saban Films and Lionsgate comes the discovery of THE COLONY.

After a mass exodus from Earth brings the survivors out into space. Now it is time to return to their home planet to see what happened to a previous mission sent that included Blake’s (Nora Arnezeder) father.

Along with other astronauts, they land on a planet surrounded by water and are taken by scavengers that have survived on Earth. She tries to explain their presence but are seen as dangerous intruders. That is until neighboring raiders attack the scavengers and Blake follows to help Narvik (Sarah-Sofie Boussnina) retrieve her people.

What she finds is a colony of people led by leader Gibson (Iain Glen), a man she knew as a young girl. Realizing he was a friend of her father’s; Gibson takes her to a cell where her father (Sebastian Roche) is being held. She sees that Holden (Hong Indira Rieck) and boy Neil (Eden Gough) have more to tell.

Blake finally begins to put the pieces together of why her father is in jail and what Gibson’s diabolical plans truly are and what is next for the people waiting in space.

Arnezeder as Blake wants answers as to where her father went and if there is a chance to live once again on Earth. She is smart and even when captured, Arnezeder’s character watches everything that is said and done. Portraying a strong female character like Blake, Arnezeder gives her everything and more. I enjoyed getting roped into her world until the end.

Boussnina as Narvik is equally as strong having lived in the water bound world of Earth. She knows the traps, pitfalls and who is responsible for the raids on her people. Narvik is trying to survive and shares a common goal with Blake. Boussnina makes her character one tough cookie!

Glen as Gibson has created a place where the people are working hard to protect themselves from the water. Happy to see Blake, he wants her to join them but, as with all things – there are conditions and secrets. Glen has always been an actor I have appreciated and in this storyline, he has to the opportunity to once again go into fantastical world.

Other cast include Sope Dirisu as Tucker, Joel Basman as Paling, Bella Bading as Maila, Cloe Heinrich as young Blake, Mabo Kouyate as Skinny Mud, Nicola Perot as Oogklap, Kotti Yun as Munay and Stanley I. Walker Jr. as Raider.

Lionsgate is a global leader in motion picture production and distribution for theatres, television, home entertainment and more. Theatre franchises include THE HUNGER GAMES, and DIVERGENT along with JOHN WICK. Now, adding this film to its 16,000-motion picture and television titles you can see everything coming soon as well as available now at http://www.lionsgate.com.

Saban Films was launched in 2014 and has built an impressive slate of high-quality feature films distributed with partner Lionsgate. Focusing on talent-driven films, the company looks at projects in all stages of production to be released across multiple platforms. Films such as SISTER OF THE GROOM, FATMAN and BREACH are part of the wonderful Saban slate, and more information can be found at www.sabanfilms.com.

There is a bit of reminiscence of WATER WORLD and a bit of the television series THE 100 but I’m okay with that since I enjoy both of those. There is something about survival, futuristic films that are enjoyable, especially when a cast comes together to tell a good yarn.

THE COLONY is a sci-fi film of survival of both those who flew away from Earth and those who survived a catastrophe. Thinking she would find answers, Blake only finds more questions and scavengers who are also trying to survive.

The cinematography, costuming and effects lends to the story as a character and feast for the eye. Adding the strong character of Blake by Arnezeder into the mix is well done and a supporting cast gives this watery dystopia.

In the end – will Earth wait for us?

THE SHAPE OF WATER Brings Unconditional Love

Jeri Jacquin

This Friday from the masterful writer/director Guillermo del Toro and Fox Searchlight comes a story that captures the heart when becoming a part of THE SHAPE OF WATER.

In 1962, Elisa (Sally Hawkins) is a young mute woman living in a quiet world of her own. Living her life day to day in a repeating pattern, it includes visiting her neighbor Giles (Richard Jenkins) for a little television and being watched over at work by friend Zelda (Octavia Spencer).

Working as a cleaning lady in a government facility, one day a strange container arrives. Being fairly invisible, Elisa is curious about what they are working on. Hearing that whatever is in the container is highly-classified, it doesn’t stop her from taking a look for herself.

That’s when she discovers a creature (Doug Jones) submerged in a tank pool, yet not truly afraid of what she sees. Instead, Elisa seems to sense that the creature is afraid and she discovers ways to put it at ease. Through patience, Elisa and her webbed friend begin to have a friendship that is quietly beautiful.

Keeping an eye on the laboratory is the very aggressive Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon) who is feared by most everyone. Watching over the experiments is Dr. Robert Hoffstetler (Michael Stuhlbarg) who isn’t a fan of Strickland’s either and has his own secrets to keep.

Elisa sees that her creature friend is suffering and decides she is going to do whatever it takes to help. Enlisting Giles proves to be a challenge and a plan is made. What surprises Elisa the most is who comes out of no where to make sure the plan works perfectly!

Strickland becomes even more hostile and ballistic and is about to make sure every human being within his earshot suffers until the creature is found. There is no mercy for anyone as he investigates every person working at the laboratory. Elisa knows that time may not be on their side but can’t turn away from her feelings.

It is a friendship that embraces their differences!

Hawkins as Elisa is absolutely endearing, lovely, heart wrenching, soulful, playful and a dreamer of epic proportions. Every part of Elisa’s character is in her eyes and smile which brought smiles to my own face before I could help myself. In the life she has created, finding someone who is also mute yet full of emotion, Elisa just dances over this film effortlessly. Hawkins is on my list for any award she wants – yes, including an Oscar.

Jenkins as Giles is such a lovely man who is creative in a time when things are ever changing. He loves his old movies and the friendship with Elisa and even though he might be a tad afraid of the unknown, he is challenged by Elisa’s will to be humane. Jenkins can portray characters that are so sweet and harmless and Giles is such a character done so well.

Spencer as Zelda is funny, no-nonsense and protective of Elisa. I love her monologues while mopping with Elisa and straight faced one liners and quips when up against Strickland. I mean seriously, would expect anything less from Spencer? Stuhlbarg as Dr. Robert Hoffstetler is definitely a conflicted character and for reasons you will discover for yourself. I do love his performance because I have seen Stuhlbarg be both good guy and bad and here he mixes the two and I adore the outcome.

There are two actors in this film that we must discuss, first Shannon as Richard Strickland is as frightening as I know he can be. There are so many dimensions to Shannon as an actor and he always manages to surprise me. Yes, he can be the scariest and meanest badass ever to grace a film but Shannon never does it the same way twice or even three or four times for that matter. Here Strickland is a complex hater of a human being and only Shannon could have done it – and done it right.

Second, the every amazing and continually exceptional work of Doug Jones as the creature. Jones has been at the forefront of some of the most amazing characters and yet never seeing his face. In the 2004 film HELLBOY he was Abe Sapien, teaming up with Del Torro in the 2006 film PAN’S LABYRINTH he was the Pale Man, in 2007 he starred in FANTASTIC 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer as the Silver Surfer, in 2010’s LEGION he was the Ice Cream Man (creepier than all get out people!) and back with Del Torro in the 2015 horror offering of CRIMSON PEAK.

Let us not forget television when in 2014 he played one of my favorite characters in the series Falling Skies as Cochise, gave us a new vampire in the FX series The Strain as one of The Ancient’s and is now part of the trekkie family with Star Trek: Discovery.

Now, in THE SHAPE OF WATER, Jones once again portrays a character that is all about the physicality of storytelling. Over all that costuming, a persona comes to life that is easy to love and want to protect. That’s what Jones brings out in us all with this performance. In case you might be wondering, I had the opportunity to speak with Doug last year when he was promoting the space film SPACE COMMAND. All I can say is that he is lovely, charming and funny so perhaps I have more of a bit of a soft spot for his portrayal of this endearing creature. Amazing performance Doug and congratulations for making us all fall in love with love again!

Other cast include David Hewlett as Fleming, Nick Searcy as General Hoyt, Stewart Arnott as Bernard, Nigel Bennett as Mihalkov, Lauren Lee Smith as Elaine Strickland, Martin Roach as Brewster Fuller, Allegra Fulton as Yolanda and John Kapelos as Mr. Arzoumanian.

THE SHAPE OF WATER is a film that is so magnificently shot with nuances that I couldn’t get enough of. The story is one of beauty, loneliness, fear, courage, music, caring, anger, betrayal, secrets, friendships and about every human emotion on the spectrum.

It is just a beautiful story that is covered in a cast that makes every moment theatre worthy. Crafted in the del Toro magic, there is so much to enjoy and not necessarily garbled with words but instead pure emotion and an endless supply of love

In the end – it is a fairy tale for troubled times!