Sharp Elements

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Paul M Sep 2 'Sharp Elements' is an independent auteur film that relies on detailed working process of a tailor, duality, minimalist musical accompaniment and exploration of obsession. Everything starts with a fashion sketch. Then film stops on every step of clothes creation. Buttons selection to a trench coat will become the driving force of the entire film. From the middle, the film is perceived in two ways. Through the prism of realism and through the prism of fantasy. In realism - Creative crisis and the likelihood of becoming a stalker's victim. In fantasy - The heroine's obsession with work results in the image of a metaphorical villain with a straight razor. The film's long introduction with a minimalist soundtrack forms the framework of the film and tells us that we are in for a thriller cooked over a slow fire. Perfectionism and an obsession with finding the right buttons, which turns into a state of insanity, cause trepidation no less than the forces of evil that follow the heroine. In the minimalist world of 'Sharp Elements', nature is serene, even in the presence of an ominous find in the grass. And the night city is filmed as if it were a dreamlike walk through a decorative city. I will separately highlight two films within a film, which conceal creepy plots. The first film within a film is a horror, a kind of mix of 'The Ring' and 'Videodrome'. The second is a thriller in the style of Alan Pakula's films. I liked the fight between the heroine and the antagonist. If this were a regular slasher, we would expect running and throwing improvised means at the killer. But here everything happens lightning fast, as if it were a samurai fight. The film's author, Ilya Svetkin, has given his cinema a distinctive style. Its plot is as schematic as a fashion sketch of a trench coat. And the restrained atmosphere simultaneously contains the world of working days and the dreamlike unreal. See more Dan K May 29 "Sharp Elements" is a low-budget slowburner thriller and a tribute to a sewing craft, the plot of which is built around a female tailor and her atelier. The main conflict of the film is a creative block of the heroine, caused by the block of power to create a suede coat. The film shows how main character's perfectionism slowly turns into obsession. I really liked the scene where we see a description of the problems of working with suede and their solutions. All this looks like the heroine's thoughts written on the frame of the film. In "Sharp Elements" there are two films within a film which resonate with the events of the main film sharing an oppressive sense of impending threat. When we watch the main film "Sharp Elements", then for the most part we see static shots, not counting scenes in nature and in the city. While the films within the film have a different style of filming and editing. This is a interesting difference because the main film is real life and the films within the film are a fictional reality. And at the same time, "real life" in the film can be interpreted ambiguously. I liked the setting of the atelier work studio. A cozy workplace with scattered scraps of clothes, sewing things and worn tables. I also enjoyed the "ascetic" soundtrack which from the very beginning contained a complex "temperament" throughout the film. "Sharp Elements" is the silent chronicles of a fashion designer, where the process of overcoming can cost a life. The ending is extraordinary and full of dark humor. Film director Ilya Svetkin made an excellent work. See more Lars T May 29 The film shows her work process in detail, immersing us in all aspects of the production of clothing creation. Taking a break from work, the female fashion designer walks in nature, in the night city and watches movies on TV. The scenes in nature are filmed peacefully, the empty night city looks like one big liminal space, and two fictional films within the film seem to foretell the coming danger. I really enjoyed Lina K's restrained acting, she perfectly conveyed the heroine's passion for her work, her perfectionism and obsession. The music, which perfectly suits the meditative mood of the film. The scene in which we are shown the difficulties of working with suede and the solution to them. The brevity of the story about an obsession that lasts only an hour. Almost complete lack of dialogue. 'Sharp Elements' is an interesting mix of a drama about everyday work, a psychological suspense thriller and elements of Italian giallo with unexpected black humor in the finale. See more Nic L May 22 Sharp Elements is a a silent love letter to fashion designers and their meticulous work. See more Read all reviews

Sharp Elements

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