Alchemy of the Spirit

After getting the wonderful chance to see Maya (2015-also reviewed) on the big screen as part of the Cine-Excess Film Festival,I signed up to view the rest of the screenings online,and began looking forward to the next title being shown, with high spirits. View on the film: Revealing in a discussion after the screening/stream that the film was inspired by a discussion he had about the afterlife with Karen Black on her deathbed, director Steve Balderson & cinematographer Hanuman Brown-Eagle unintentionally undermine what should be an intimate, personal atmosphere, with a misguided slide into Magical Realism, represented here in consistently jabbing the audience in the eye with lens flares darting across the over-saturated in red screen, only calming down for drenched in cream soft-focus close-ups, all of which results in leaving the viewer detached from Oliver's mourning. Despite being caked over with all the distracting screen effects, Xander Berkeley and Sarah Clarke cut through the layers of screen filters, with emotionally raw performances as Oliver & Evelyn, via Clarke expressing in an understated manner Evelyn's deep love in the marriage, which is delicately emphasized by Berkeley in Oliver's drained face when he finds Evelyn dead in their bed, as he paints a canvas with her spirit.

First, how come this pearl only has a 5? That's not fair! If you like arthouse or for example Eraser head, you certainly going to like this one as well. It's about grieve, about dead and what is behind the walls of life. It's dialogue about how it is to be dead, how someone who is alive can be in trust that it is ok when you die. And watch the scenes! It looks boring, but it's not when you pay attention. Don't expect action, but do see the tenderness of love in it. I watched it twice. First because I wanted to know if it was a five, second time to experience this pearl. It just fits and explains what it is to be dead and what it means when you leave your loved ones behind.

Beautiful sound design and cinematography. Loaded with veteran hollywood actors. An unique sensual experience. Would recommend to anyone looking for a spiritual awakening. What happens when we die? Where do we go? Who guides us? These questions and more are explored throughout the film. Old school movie making, a phenix that rises from the ashes of indie film. No posh red carpets just scraped knuckles, sweat, and talent. Balderson's brilliance to let the performances play out organically. The grit is embedded into the digital celluloid. The film has a high character look. The performances are sharp as a tack. Truly refreshing cinema experience that stands out from the mundane.

This is not an action movie. It is very slow, in soft focus, with rich color saturations, accompanied by a lot of melancholy music. Oliver is an artist, and has spent a lifetime with Evelyn, whom he deeply loves. One morning, he finds she has died in her sleep. His first instinct was to call 911, but then he realizes he loses her if he does that, separated forever. This movie asks questions about the meaning of death. Is there life after death, does all life stop with death, and how does the mind process death? In his mind he creates scenes together, and he even creates a death mask so he will never really be separated from her. Deep feelings of love and death which will give a movie with limited appeal. It can be very boring, but also richly rewarding.

Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2023 From the moment this film began, it captured me in a way very few do. I immediately felt a haunting yet beautiful presence that resonated in everything from the music to production design just in the first opening moments. It raised my hopes for the rest of the film and I was not disappointed. Steve Balderson has created an absolutely incredible journey of the soul and takes us on that ride masterfully. Xander Berkley's performance is absolutely impeccable. He radiates raw emotion so well it's as if his inner thoughts are written on the screen for us to read. One finds it hard to believe theyre watching a movie because the portrayal is so real you feel like you've been given a special window into the character's private life. Sarah Clarke pristine performance is breath-taking and so touching that the viewer wants to go with her into the other realm and experience what she has experienced and see what she has seen. This film was so beautifully done that within the simplicity of it is also its elegance, which allowed the emotions to take center stage, which can be rare to find. I was absolutely captivated from the opening scene to the last.

I watched this film tonight and it's one of the best I have seen in a long time. Every word, piece of music, colour and object, chosen with great care. Using Xander Berkeley's real artwork was a brilliant touch. Everyone involved in this film played their part to perfection!

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