Most Beautiful Island (2017)

Very one dimensional. A very unlikeable poor foreign girl mooches round New York ripping people off for an hour. Another unlikeable foreign girl tells her she can be well paid to go to an underground party. Both girls go, each has a spider walk on them while naked for 2 minutes. The end. There is no hidden meaning, no depth or dimension and I am an experienced film viewer that finds a reason to appreciate most films, even the crap ones. I felt compelled to write my first ever review to warn people. It is beyond me why this film has a 5.6 rating. I can only assume it is the film-makers' families and friends plus the 2 minutes of nakedness at the end of the film that has upped the average.

Directorial debut, producer, writer and leading actress. Asensio delivers a contemporary thriller utilising desperation as its thoroughly constructed buildup to its uneasy conclusion. What I will say, for the very first time, is that I leapt up from my sofa exclaiming "Nooo no no I can't do this!" and hid behind it with fear. Whether or not the same effect will occur to you depends on what conjures up your trepidation. As I write this, my skin is tingling with anxiety...it was that powerful. An immigrant who moves to New York to chase the "big dream" rapidly discovers that the idyllic lifestyle isn't so easy to achieve, thus resorting to desperation to earn money. Asensio's stripped back simplicity allows the dialogue to remain prominent throughout. Whilst it may lack sharpness and astute vocabulary, it does remain natural. Brave long takes of conversational pieces that slowly manifest into dread. In the back of your mind, you know something is going to happen...you just don't know what. Fear of the unknown is a commanding tool, and Asensio masterfully manipulates this concept to create a memorable thriller. Purposely avoiding the cynical issue of immigration was necessary to avoid being biased, and I appreciate that. It's not so much a character piece, but more of an event perspective where we follow the character of Luciana for just one day. Much like the thematic narrative, she remains unknown to us. Whilst I do appreciate the ambiguity, crucial back story elements needed more exploration in order to enhance the emotional investment of Luciana. This becomes apparent during the unspeakable final act. Honestly, I'm surprised I didn't have nightmares or violently vomit from anxiety. Powerful, just pure visceral imagery. Acting was solid all round and the casting of unknown stars elevated the natural environment even further. Will this appeal to everyone? Not at all. A slow contemporary independent thriller that relishes in its occasional pretentiousness. But what a payoff!

I saw this about a month or two ago and I swear that few films have stuck with me the way that this film has!

The ending, last few minutes, was quite different than the entire rest of the movie. Up to the ending we have to endure a not so likeable female Russian (?) immigrant trying to earn enough money to pay the bills. Nothing so interesting until the end when she's given a chance to earn a few thousand for a night's work. So now we're down to the final 10 min. and it just in the final two or so that we see the task. Actually, kind of dumb, and not so believable. Not a movie I'll remember in a week or so.