The Ballerina (2017) Reviews

• Slow, pointless, and awful

  torroutedipz2018-04-22

  What a garbled mess! I don't take time to write many reviews, especially negative ones, but this has so many fake positive reviews that convinced me to rent the movie, well someone needs to tell the truth. Maybe the director had an idea in his head, but miserably failed to transfer it to the scree. He must've written the 8 star review because many facets described in the review never materialize in screen. Then we have a 10 star review clearly written by Pullens wife "the father was so handsome" lmao they lived in a homeless camp and he looked the part. Honestly, the acting was the best part, so maybe he should concentrate on that area. The movie never even tries to establish how they ended up homeless in the swamp until flashbacks late in the movie, and by this time it's too late and only confuses the situation. It's almost as if Pullen had 3 movies in mind and couldn't decide which to produce, as many aspects of the movie just don't fit together with one another. Simply put, the movie is boring and pointless. I still don't know what it was supposed to be about. And the inconsistencies, wow! I normally don't care if maybe in one shot a glass of water is half full and in the next it's full, but omg the various states of this guys beard is ridiculous. In the final scene while running to his daughter, both the main character and his father totally change wardrobe mid scene and he goes from full beard to trimmed beard. I mean, they're dead already so I guess anything is possible but it doesn't appear to be done in purpose. Then you have to love that he's browsing the internet in the middle of the swamp outside a homeless camp like he's a walking wireless hotspot. I really don't know what to say other than I'm warning you, please don't waste your time. I fell asleep watching it the first night and terribly regret going back to finish it the next day.

• I can't believe I gave this an 8

  smoke02018-03-24

  But I did, and I might even change it to a 9, but probably only because I am so tired of big budget movies that try to be horrific or funny or thrilling and fail to deliver, and I am really tired of indie films that have more to do with disposable income than independent vision. The story blends several tropes into something fresher, and becomes a haunting dystopia that lingers long after the movie is over, due to the engaging characters played by engaging unknowns, a central mystery that moves along quickly and never cheats or manipulates, and direction, photography and editing found in more expensive productions while still managing to feel intimate and atmospheric. If you can find this film, give it a look, as it deserves attention.

• Not all "home made" movies are terrible

  kay_rock2018-10-14

  With advancements in technology, it has become easier for the "every man" to make movies. In some ways, it has become like one of those talent reality shows with the audience as the judges: everyone thinks they have talent, not everyone does, but some have potential and once in a while you find a real star. Mr. Pullen shows some real potential here. This isn't the best of it's type I've seen, but it is FAR from the worst. And it is worth a watch, particularly if you are interested in filmmaking. It was as fun seeing what he got wrong as it was seeing what he got right. It would make a great film for a film class to study. And visually, it was a great. Heck, James Cameron has made a fortune making really stupid yet gorgeous movies. Beautiful is worth a lot. This film has its plusses and its minuses. ACTING: Like most indie films it is a grab-bag. Steve Pullen himself is probably better off staying behind the camera, but he doesn't make you wince (although he does chew the scenery a bit). Little Isabella as Sophia is a stand-out, though. She has a future in acting. CINEMATOGRAPHY: Actually pretty good. Whomever was handling the camera is decent. Some of the scenery is gorgeous and shots were well-framed. WRITING: Mixed bag. The dialogue isn't terrible (not great either) and the story concept is interesting, but the story itself was a little too complicated and a little too contrived. For a long time it appeared there were two disparate stories happening here, and while I see what he was going for as far as the parallels and inferences, it really got muddled up. The opening made certain promises to the viewer, and I found a lot of that middle ground to be frustrating as I was waiting for it to play out the way I suspected it might (it didn't, by the way). It was like being taken out of the story and put into another one. I found myself not caring about any of the tension in "that" part of the story because it felt like an interruption to the original narrative. iI also think a few too many liberties were taken with the story (as we saw it) to justify that ending, but it was an admirable attempt. However, if you're going to go in that direction you need a little more foreshadowing. Nobody should be left at the big reveal saying "huh... wha?" And the denouement was just a bit too much. I want to avoid making this a spoiler review so I'll skip making the obvious comment about that. When you see the film, though, you'll see what I mean. It was a twist too far. And it stretched on WAAAY too long, explaining and explaining and explaining until we realize the filmmaker was not confident in how he had presented his story. If you feel the need to spell out everything you just showed your audience, you already know you didn't get it right. EDITING: Well done. Good editing is invisible; bad editing will destroy a movie. MAKEUP: Normally I wouldn't even talk about make-up in a review, but this was so horrific it had to be mentioned. It was like make-up in a children's theatrical production : it looked like it was slopped onto faces by a stage-mom volunteer who had a few too many chardonnays before showing up at the theater. Just really, really bad, to the point of distraction. Another rare mention is the TITLE SEQUENCE: Whoever did this has some artistic vision and talent with a computer. It looked very professionally done and fit the tone of the film. Despite my criticisms, I think Mr. Pullen should continue to make films. I can see some really good movies in his future as he hones is craft. He is one of the reasons that I am loving the rise in indie filmmaking as the means to make movies becomes more accessible. This may not be a total winner, but the raw material is there, and some of it was really, really good (and talent is rare). PS: If you're going to have family members make fake reviews, tell them to avoid superlatives and hyperbole. The stink of fake was all over some of these reviews and it was an embarrassment to the film. Reviews aren't just something to make people want to watch your film, they are your honest feedback. Requesting fake reviews is narcissistic and not helpful. I almost skipped this film because those reviews were so ridiculous. I'm glad I didn't.

• We need more movies like this

  blood-lust6662018-02-07

  The Ballerina is a directorial debut from newcomer Steve Pullen. Pullen also stars in, co-produced and wrote the screenplay to this film. For a debut done on a low budget, The Ballerina blew me away! I can't wait to see more from Pullen and see how he progresses in the future. With the horror genre being oversaturated with gore for the sake of gore, lackluster to no plots, and little suspense, The Ballerina breathed new life with its revival of southern gothic horror. It's atmospheric, it's moody, it's melancholy. The tensions between reality and the supernatural are palpable and eventually blend into a delusional realism. But beyond that, is tragedy brought to life. The last 30 minutes is an emotional experience for the viewer. As the story progresses, the viewer begins to realize the actuality of the situation as the layers are exposed piece by piece. It's tragic. It's heartbreaking. But there, there's relief at the end. This is ultimately a story of regret, forgiveness and redemption. And one done so in an artful and meaningful way.

• You're scaring me.

  nogodnomasters2018-02-20

  Glen and his daughter are headed to her ballerina recital. He decides to stop and do some hunting and the next thing you know the two of them are in a homeless camp. Sophia, the daughter, is haunted by ghosts or shadow people. Only she can see them. There are clues that Glen's story is not quite correct about the death of his family. I could point to films that are similar theme that are better, but that would give away the ending. The film was made by Steve Pullen and family (cheaper than paying people). Steve wrote, directed, produced, edited, and starred in the feature. It has a feel good ending. The scares came from the horror make-up. Slow at times. Guide: F-word. Implied sex. No nudity.