Gilgamesh (2014)

As Good As It Gets

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

The acting in this movie is really good.

I didn't get all the way through this one. There may be some big ideas and it is possible they are even good ones... BUT. The incredible cheapness, the lousy acting and dialog, the occasionally goofy editing... It was all too much for me.

Okay, I'll give GILGAMESH credit for being something other than a cheesy and predictable slasher, but this micro budget production is so awful and indescribable that it becomes virtually unwatchable after the first ten minutes or so. I appreciate the effort made to depict a snowbound Siberia in the film's opening sequences, but the plot then goes off on a tangent involving religion, politics, and various esoteric themes.Unfortunately as with all indie productions this all amounts to a whole bunch of actors doing very little other than having philosophical conversations. It's patience-testing stuff for sure and the continuing refusal to make sense or deal with concrete themes and ideas makes it a real chore to sit through. There's little incident, a nonsensical story, no realism, and awful acting throughout. I hated it, I'm afraid.

What a movie! From start to finish compelling and well made.Summary as follows. We begin with Russian archive footage of tanks and streets. This sets the tone for the entire movie, it's a bit fourth wall breaking but also shows how much the director loves the world he's created and bringing the audience into it. He would fit right in with '50s William Castle cinema.We're treated to a Vietnam war scene that sets up the entire movie without giving everything away (watch out for the eyeball!). Then there's a proper introduction and credit roll set against beautiful scenery and music. Along with fourth wall breaks narration is also a recurring thing. The director reached big with the concepts involved. That was accomplished from the opening.Next we cut to a modern day scene. I don't want to give it away but it was darkly colorful. These type of scenes are my favorite. They show off the world. The movie overall had a distinct look and feel to it. The Lars character is wonderfully absurd if mad. There's something strange about him you won't find anywhere else.From there we're brought on a journey with David and Kristen, and the military's quest to find an "artifact" in the wilderness. Let's just say it doesn't go to plan, David barely survives and inadvertently unleashes hell. The plot moves along at a nice pace and makes good use of Gilgamesh throughout. Fans of gore and nudity will enjoy it.The ending builds up to a fetish club party where all the main characters meet for a final showdown.*Big spoiler* The fight between the Gilgamesh and Innana characters is not shown. I can only guess because of budget. We do get to see them in action against soldiers.Now before you cry disappointment, stick around because the movie continues on to satisfyingly wrap up some plot points and leave us with a bit of hope. It's tough to tell whether it was shot this way strictly because of budget or if the director wanted to shadow the Gilgamesh and Innana battle in a bigger narrative.As for the narrative it makes good use of voice over, montages and music. Maybe the director had to use these methods to tell his story where he didn't have money to shoot big budget scenes. Unlike Hollywood which has resources yet falls on exposition out of laziness, Gilgamesh uses the montages and exposition in a creative way.The voice overs are by Sopranos actor Joseph Gannascoli. These scenes made the movie feel larger than life. It gets into themes of order and chaos, good and evil. It has a political subplot that makes you think and reflects real world corruption. You wonder who the good guys are because even the good guys are hell bent on pursuing the ultimate weapon and destroying themselves. It's great metaphor for the madness in our world. There's gore, there's nudity, there's cool scenes but also intelligent themes.The director did a wonderful job conveying his imagination. This is a gem in independent film. It's not perfect but it's good for what it set out to do. The story is interesting and the acting is well done. There are a few awkward moments but nothing that took me out of the experience. The two protagonists played by Joshua Davis and Melantha Blackthorne handled their emotional dialogue well. Anyone who's acted knows that it's not easy to convincingly cry on screen. Emily Coleman and Oselito Joseph also bring presence to their roles as the god-like figures Innana and Gilgamesh.Gilgamesh is an enjoyable movie going experience. Don't judge its budget. Judge it for its imagination and the risks it takes. Sit back and enjoy the creative world and characters.

Very impressive job of independent filmmaking on a micro-budget. Imaginatively depicts the fall of the US government and the rise of an insane dictator in the near future, set against an eternal conflict between two supernatural and immortal beings - one sworn to destroy the human race, the other who may or may not be our protector. Has the character depth, texture and ambitions of a movie costing many, many, many times more money. Well-directed, well-written with flashes of black humor amid carnage, generally very well-acted, and quite well-photographed. Uses its limited budget to claustrophobic advantage in the same way that some of Roger Corman's early films did….A rather unique accomplishment that follows its own independent raison d'être - to give its audience a creative experience they'll never get from Hollywood.