Review of Alpha (2018) by Dufreshest — 29 Aug 2018

Cinematography: 8.921/10 Have you ever seen Samsara? Alpha is not as peaceful as Samsara though flows very well though has stuttering moments which make me question purposes of particular camera angles at times in the film. Alpha has so many scenes which look good and does evoke an emotional response from the audience though it is not tear-jerking. .

Costume Design: 9.234/10 Decent! Initially, I think the people will be a lot bigger and eventually I start thinking the people might have been hairier too. Otherwise, a lot of the attire in Alpha seems to check out as Paleolithic.

Film Editing: 9.432/10 The majority of the film looks good though I find a few random scenes to look like really awkward breaks from all of the really good scenes concerning visuals, not acting.

Make-up and Hair-styling: 8.799/10 Decent. Simple. Not too complex (not indicative of the effort that it might have taken).

Sound Editing: 8.982/10 Good. If they add a descriptive-narrating voice explaining the background of the era, that'd be it - icing on the cake (slick way to get someone to watch a documentary). Solid for the content.

Visual Effects: 8.794/10 Decent. Still - was that a crystalline saber-toothed tiger? The majority of everything else checks out. Maybe 4K will make a huge difference in a film like this. .

Story: 9.219/10 I like the overall message of the film in connection with the tribe and the wolf pack. Were kindred relationships so in the Paleolithic era? I don't know - but, I like the story. It's definitely heartfelt especially for anyone that might have had a good relationship with a pet. .

Acting: 9.111/10 The addition of the language makes the acting more effective. It really feels like these actors got into their roles. I didn't feel like I was watching people in existence any longer (except that I knew was). .

Personal: Alpha makes me question owning a pet in the future. I've been hearing a new mantra as of recent: 'I don't have kids, I have dogs,' and I don't really have a reaction to it. I feel as though there is a clear difference in loving an animal and loving a human being. Is an animal a cheat way for a different kind of love? Maybe for some people. There's strong emphasis on the importance of life within both realms of animals and humans in Alpha. Yes, I know humans are animals. There are stark differences though. I don't know. I guess it all depends on what someone is looking for. I really like Alpha and I think it's a decent film.

Overall: 9.061/10.

-K.D.

If you're into Poetry and other bits of creativity, check out my Instagram: @Dufreshest.