The Incident (2014)

An essay on creating a not so easy, not so complex cinema, on elaborate an original story, and create a rich cinematographic experience. A movie not for everyone, which is one of its main virtues. Is a pity the director is not a more prolific author.

I walked out of the theater saying, "That was amazing. Just amazing." My family agreed and we talked about it that night and the next morning, figuring it out, exchanging what we remembered and admiring the creative staging and story telling. I think it was well thought out and the story told well, surprises that I then realized were logical. I thought the acting very good, especially as the actors changed extremely over time. We were still a little confused about the conclusion's explanation, but I think we understood most of the logic -- it helped to have multiple people discussing it and remembering pieces. When the old guys start talking, you need to listen.

The plot and the idea behind this movie seems interesting enough to consider watching it, an original concept that might not come up often (specially for a Mexican movie).It all starts with big expectations, however, it takes no more than the first 10 minutes to realize that this film will not live up to expectations.The acting is utterly horrible, there is not a single character in this movie with whom you can relate to or even feel some empathy for. The dialogs are forced and their over use of swearing lets you know immediately that this is a normal Mexican movie in which there is no need for good dialogs as long as you have enough nonsense swearing. Be aware that the main actresses is known only for her soap opera appearances, which are by definition, not great places to find good actresses.The film feels very claustrophobic (which I imagine was on purpose) but rather than being gripped by the plot it just provokes the spectator the need to find a way out of the cinema room.As if the acting was not enough to give you headaches then there are the sound effects and music. The sound effects feel "raw" (and by raw I mean there seems that no post production or sound mixing was made at all). The dialogs feel intrusive and the whinings and screams are just unbearable. The music is like a copy cat from Lost and other suspense series.This movie has received positive reviews in the independent media in Mexico which was one of the reasons for me to watch it. However, after watching it seems to me that the reviews were made by the filmmaker's friends.Have a look at IMDb review dates for this movie and if you're intelligent enough you'll realize that most of the "overwhelmingly positive" reviews were made months ago, previous to the commercial release of the movie, and by users that coincidentally or not, registered 10 or so months ago. It looks to me that they tried (and sadly, achieved) to generate great expectations for this movie.Watch it at your own risk but bear in mind that it is not material for a cult movie and much less the director (Isaac Izban) is the next Stephen King. This movie is a great idea awfully executed and with even poorer acting quality.It is 90 minutes of torture with 10 minutes in which they quite literally explain the whole movie. Next time the director should be kind enough to save 90 minutes of their audience's time and shoot a short movie instead.

Rod Serling once wrote "It has been said that God created the Heaven and Earth, but it's up to each individual to create their own personal or private Hell". Well, not necessarily, as we find out in this truly incredible film debut by writer/director Isaac Ezban's epic stunner "El Incidente". The film starts out with a striking image of a very old woman near death. She's still in her wedding dress, holding a small red book, while riding an escalator to an unknown origin in the future (just a foreshadow of what's to come). It's followed by a sequence where we see an endless ocean, railroad track, road, stairway, and finally hallway. This acts as a road map by Ezban for us to follow on his journey into a universe of his own creation, and what a glorious journey it is! There are 2 separate yet connected stories for us to follow, both fragmented, non linear narratives involving a family about to venture on a road trip, and a detective's successful chase of 2 petty thieves on a stairway of an apartment building. In both scenes, we witness multiple incidents, both involving a death, a human sacrifice of sorts. The detective shoots one of the criminals while on the stairs- yet claims it wasn't his doing, and the father of a blended family gets lost, while his step daughter suffers a severe asthma attack for which he assumes much of the blame. Both groups hear an explosion shortly after each incident occurs, and both find themselves frozen in space and isolated from the rest of the world. While the family on the road keep passing the same landmarks over and over again, the Cop and 2 criminals discover an endless loop of repeated floors of the building in which they are trapped. There is much more to both stories, and yes, they are connected. There is a conversation between brothers in one's dying moments on the stairway which prove essential to the films theme. We now jump 35 years into the futureAct 2 on the staircase contains the films most creative and fascinating images. A vending machine that automatically fills up with food at will, a mural of fascinating drawings on the walls listing the number of days since the incident occured, a bizarre religious ritual involving paper bags, a collection of empty plastic water bottles that contain...well.. (that's a secret) and the most beautiful images of food ever captured on film since Antonioni's "Zabriske Point". The way the characters adapted to their new stairway home over the years with what little they had was both incredible as well as creative. The relationship between characters grew. ( Ezban and set designer Adelle Achar used a lot of imagination in highlighting this fascinating and original segment) Act 2 of the family on the road could have used a bit more development and imagination. Still, in all fairness, it was realistic and true to the story. The father and son are alive, but remain quite distant. The mother is catatonic and soon dies, and the little girl has long been deceased. They have not adapted to their surroundings nearly as well. A revelation soon occurs in both stories, and some warnings as well.What I noticed as a viewer is whether these characters were trapped in very close quarters or expansive terrain, Ezban's world is always beautiful. It saturates one's senses with wonder, and challenges our imagination. In the modern day fabricated world of CGI, Ezban manages to capture his world and unique visions with just a camera lens. Raul Mendez was terrific as the lead actor. I'd like to see more of his films.In critiquing cinema, as in our regular lives, it seems we make our choices based on subjective impulse, and live by these choices as though we grasped an "absolute truth", but mystery remains at the heart of everything. Fans of mystery enjoy figuring out the unknown and are often frustrated when the process seems like an exercise in futility, (as one might experience here). But solving this mystery makes one ravenous for next. In contrast, an encounter with the unsolvable leaves us deliciously humble. Thus, rather than solve all the mystery of this film, or understand its logic, enjoy the experience as a world created by Ezban, meant to be explored and embellished. Look to its metaphors. As stated- the words of the conversation between brothers on the stairway in act one is crucial to the theme. I wish Ezban would remake this in America and allow me to help write the screenplay. I believe understanding the meaning would have not left people scratching their heads. There is something lost in translation here. The dialogue between brothers was crucial and not emphasized enough.This film is an existential look at one's life. When we are young, our imagination and energy seem limitless. We can't wait to grow up to adulthood, not knowing the added responsibilities, obligations, and sociological standards we must conform to. In the end, we wish we could return to our childhood with a new found perspective and sense of wisdom- that being, to not rush thru the most sacred time of our lives, only to sacrifice our innocence along the way. This film is all about that passage of time and the choices we make. It is a reminder that wasted time is time we never get back, and not staying active by living life to its fullest will only lead to our self destruction. This is a film that needs to be experienced, because words alone could not possibly do it justice. I'll sum up by saying It was easily one of the most fascinating films I've ever seen in a long time. An amazing Journey. I'm sure most people will say this review isn't "helpful", but how can it be without my spoiling it? Is this world ready for Isaac Ezban? There is a definitive answer to that question. YES.