Review of Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010) by Kinnon P — 13 Jan 2011

First things first, Rare Exports looks tremendous, way above it's humble budget. My initial impression is that I was watching a lost piece by John Carpenter, or at least a film where Dean Cundey had done the cinematography. It's locale is stark but beautiful, and it's wonderful to get a cast who look like they fully spend their whole lvies out there, like they're hewn from stone. In a place where the average member of the audience would be running for their 3 layer thinsulate gloves, these guys (and kids ) stride around barehanded, and the remoteness and toughness of it all just adds to the carpenter flavour.

Secondly it's great to see some guys twist the xmas idea, take it back to its much darker roots, and create something that while a simple reveal piece, has a great sense of mythos about it. Also the slow sense of putting the young boy in the film into a position of power and authority is great fun. He's hugely pushed aside by these big tough guys, in a place where you're only as good as you are strong, it's nice to see his booksmarts come to the fore.

Once you've seen the film check out the 2 shorts that preceded them: Rare Exports inc, and Rare Exports - the safety instructions, you get an even greater sense of the dark humored notes the guys are stretching for and hitting here. Some people may bemoan the pace, but I love the sensation of creepiness that starts to pervade the whole thing, the cast are great, it's an original idea, and I had a great time with it.