The Crimson Mask (2009)

Taking into consideration different aspects, before you trash this film, keep in mind that it was clearly done on a budget! The thing that strikes me most about this film is how fresh it is, the plot is different, the performances are different, the presentation of certain scenes and elements is also different. The two stories get together revealing another amazing aspect in the movie, through combining the two stories and knitting it all together. The fantasy factor is handled very carefully in this film, added to strengthen the scenes without taking from the reality of the stories. For creativity this movie definitely stands out for me. The acting was kind of tricky because as a character you'd have to maintain your personality and balance between your realistic and imaginative features. Excellent.

This movie speaks well of greed and provides a very witty image of social differences by showing two separate stories that eventually blend together in an interesting turn of events. An ancient ritual combines the two characters and reveals parts of the truth. The storytelling in this movie is quite appealing, it doesn't get too vague and mysterious but it still holds that exciting vibe to keep you watching until the end. The movie in general is unique and not like anything I've seen before, it is an interesting point of view presented in a smart way, and sadly underrated. The movie was clearly done on a budget yet it didn't look cheap at all. The performances felt awkward at some points but were overall pretty good. This kind of filmmaking and fresh cinematic style promise a very bright future, especially with more attention and a higher budget. I would love to see different points of view from this director, and the movie definitely deserves an 8/10 from me.

I saw Crimson Mask opening night last year in Downtown Disney. All I can say is what a complete boring disaster of an independent film! Watching the carpet was so much more exciting than this film. I would have to agree with iacon6 as I also share in his opinions about this film. A lot of people go to film school for a good reason, and my guess is that the film maker and writer of this film should have stayed in school for at least a few more years. You must learn to have appealing story lines for your audience, and not once was there a fragment of intellectual story telling. As an editor, I found this film offensive to the arts of film making. As it goes to show that I guess if this film can make it on a big screen, anything can make it.

I'm not really sure what movie iacon6 thought he was reviewing, but this was definitely not the disaster he's made it out to be. (I suspect cinemafreek's assessment of why he would write a review not far off the mark) I saw this movie several weeks ago at the film festival in Philadelphia. What I saw was an excellent independent film featuring a plot that managed to be complex without being complicated, excellent performances (especially Clohessy) and a satisfying conclusion that features a great action scene and a relatable moral. For a relatively new filmmaker, I think this was a very ambitious film that succeeded quite well in its mission, and I look forward to seeing what else Elias Plagianos can come up with in the future.