Vesper Chronicles

Very nice visual presentation and ideas on the border between early Cronenberg and Alex Garland's Annihilation. Unfortunately, in a story that fails to convey to the viewer what it is about in a clear and meaningful way. I felt intrigued, but not carried away. (56th KVIFF) (10/07/2022)

The creators spare no ambition and present a dense futuristic world in which the protagonist's paralysed father communicates via a flying drone and where, alongside mostly degenerate humans, there are also artificially created individuals. On the surface, the attractive theme is based on The Matrix, Alita: Battle Angel and other science fiction films in which only a chosen person from among the oppressed has the power to overthrow a mysterious absolutist government. Unlike them, however, Vesper focuses on an intimate story with several players and emphasizes the connection with nature, and thus the deepening relationship between man and his synthetic imitation. The actors are decent, the music expressive and the visuals at times on the level of Hollywood blockbusters, although the budget was apparently not enough for lavish attractions, and we mostly find ourselves in forests where life, except for a few technical gadgets, looks like from the distant past. Unfortunately, there is not a single memorable character and the directors copy the traditional overseas style more than they come up with original ideas and unpredictable twists. And shortening it by some fifteen minutes would only benefit this almost two-hour film. (02/07/2022)

Je ne m’attendais pas à grand-chose venant d’une coproduction de science-fiction entre la Lituanie, la France et la Belgique et j’ai donc été bluffé par les idées et créations présentées par Vesper dans le cadre de son univers fictif par ailleurs très efficace au grand écran. La conception du paysage postapocalyptique et des êtres qu’il contient, lesquels semblent tout droit sortis du film Annihilation d’Alex Garland, combinés à des effets spéciaux réalistes, sont d’un niveau très appréciable pour le cinéma du genre en Europe. L’histoire, par contre, est relativement conventionnelle, mais néanmoins basée sur du solide et interprétée par des acteurs brillants – parmi lesquels Richard Brake qui se distingue dans son rôle très discret. Pour moi, c’est une petite surprise parmi les films du festival de KV, surtout pour la section principale de la compétition qui est généralement inintéressante. [KVIFF 2022] (22/07/2022)

Un film de science-fiction dystopique visuellement assez imaginatif, qui s'inspire largement des procédés narratifs hollywoodiens en termes de scénario, de retournements de situation et d'éléments concrets, mais qui est entravé par une grande naïveté narrative. Il essaie de paraître plus grandiose qu'il ne peut réellement l'être, mais grâce à des effets spéciaux réussis et par moments une atmosphère captivante, il est indéniablement impressionnant pour une production européenne. Subjectivement, cependant, il est terriblement long et bavard, de nombreux passages mériteraient d'être supprimés (par exemple, l'examen pénible d'un livre d'images d'animaux aurait pu se terminer tranquillement après le chat et le hibou) et les retournements de situation de fin s'essoufflent indéniablement ce qui est aussi bien dommage. (07/07/2022)

I was pleasantly surprised. You can tell that the budget was tight, but it paradoxically benefited the film. There was CGI, but my screen wasn't constantly filled with all kinds of digital mess, and there was room for a story, which was not bad at all. If you expect battles with blue and green phasers, lasers, and such, you will be disappointed. The movie relies on a good story (albeit clichéd) and a perfect gloomy atmosphere (courtesy of Lithuania). What disappointed me was the premise about the self-sacrificing cripple, especially since he received food in the same way as I do (although I envied him the worms, my diet is more monotonous). Nevertheless, this peculiar, calmer approach suited me, and I liked the idea of flying Wilson. Definitely worth four stars. / Lesson learned: Are they making fun of you for being a hoarder? One day, you will laugh at them from the top of your tower. (13/01/2023)