Review of A Quiet Place (2018) by Pipec — 09 May 2018

We shout out loud with gratitude in the face of an archaic cinema facet revivified by post-modern suspense genre: Silence.

What was the last time you watched a nearly-silent suspense film made by a major Hollywood studio? It seems that thisWe shout out loud with gratitude in the face of an archaic cinema facet revivified by post-modern suspense genre: Silence.

What was the last time you watched a nearly-silent suspense film made by a major Hollywood studio? It seems that this question has no answer. The main originality builder here is its ability to evolve in a particular not-talking film, that's already a bombshell. With an over limited use of dialogues and an intrepid skill in conceiving an irrefutably captivating story with coherence and vigor, it seems impossible to make a movie without the actor's voice, for many artists is a requirement for storytelling understandability, since the characters are the link to the viewer, they make the connection, but, not all the stories take this kind of paths. Broadly speaking, this kinematic tool seems to be the engine of the idea, however, dissecting my own experience and some spectators' opinions, such a factor didn't work in top form.

Christopher Tellefsen deserves personalized recognition thanks to his decision of reducing as much as possible the length, synthesizing the crucial parts and discarding what doesn't contribute, focusing the core of an entertaining genre film. Time flies by as situations are located in the right place, carefully beneficial choices. After the screening, I found four memorable scenes, dark dreams coming true thanks to a set of artistic and creative components to achieve such level of effectiveness and unbeatable naturalness: The first one takes place at the beginning, just before the main titles make their appearance as vanishing powder; the second one is an incident inside a creepy silo; The third one is a painful sacrifice demanding a few wipes and the fourth one, exhibited in the last act, is starring Emily Blunt in a bathtub and the danger lurking, certainly brutal and the best of all the movie by far.

The sound section is good, but that isn't enough. Despite pictures had to execute the narrative function the dialogues could not, the accompaniment was to be exceptional, as original as the ideas of the script and terribly disturbing as it should be in a horror film. Two Oscar nominations, but Marco Beltrami's soundtrack doesn't have much to highlight because it complies with simple emotional, atmospheric compositions and loudly cheap high-sounding sounds when the creatures make their entrance, it's quite common and unimaginative in a manner of speaking. A huge dissatisfaction with such powerful references, however, the biggest disappointment was the sound editing work, which plays its role half-heartedly, it doesn't use an important feature in the way it should, a terrible flaw. While on several occasions a good frightening impact is achieved by breaking the silence with an accidental sound, all the alternatives the story had are not explored. With his third work as a director, John Krasinski burst into as an inventive and original voice for suspense genre. His film is a tension construction class, as well as a visual delight thanks to a sensible and exciting perspective on a story that isn't wasted. It's amazing to see how he understands the function of each camera movement, knows how to keep an exquisite timing between the characters and sets up vicious sequences that leave the spectator petrified. We place a value on the prioritization of the coherence and storytelling sharpness, bringing the characters in the foreground, not relegating efficient jump-scares with oppressive atmospheres leading to a breathtaking climax. Like hotcakes on the tables of the major studios, he announces himself as one of the most innovative Hollywood filmmakers and screenwriters at the expense of this spectacular debut that took everyone by surprise — let's just look at its worldwide box office, making "horror" movie history — not for his role as an actor, but for his unexpected endowments as far as cinematographic constructions are concerned. "A Quiet Place" by John Krasinski is a dystopian, heartbreaking, nerve-wracking nightmare, any reluctant spectator will end up surrendering to the supreme tension of this sci-fi thriller starring the never quiet life of this prepared family. Sometimes intense, poignant and irrecoverably tense; the humanity in its narrative mechanisms, the power of the pictures and the fireproof charm between the leads guarantee one of the best forays in the genre this year; alongside "Get Out" by Jordan Peele, it's really fascinating many comedy actors keep tremendous creative minds for different genres, ironic thing, we find horror in humor. Great achievements and broken promises, the film leaves an inexplicably bittersweet flavor, perhaps more bitter than sweet, because it disappoints to understand that most of the time, when hyper-positive buzz catapults a film tends to be a dissonant marketing squeal.