Written, directed by and starring Raman Irman, co-starring Mojo Mona. Straight away you can feel the type of style and atmosphere that Visualization is going for, pushing strongly on an artistic and experimental edge. To the extent that it almost feels like more of a performance piece than a fictional short film. Visually it’s attempting to make a statement with its choices and to allow the viewer to make their own interpretation.
However, making that choice can also feel like your scenes have a distance rather than a connection. Particularly when there’s a use of lingering, simple panning shots which add further separation. As well as a coldness or flatness to the cinematography which is missing out on bringing an edge or a touch of colour to add sharpness to the aesthetic.
Thematically it’s touching upon a number of different topics and given that it is allowing itself to be so open to interpretation, viewers may find different subjects within it. However, Visualization feels as though its focus is on the atmosphere and feel rather than a story. It’s translating its intentions and following a path that winds itself into mental health with a dystopian, sci-fi touch. Yet it doesn’t really feel like a cohesive enough combination to pull things together and make a bigger impact. Its scenes can be fleeting rather than truly building upon one another to reach its destination.
It also struggles with the use of score, it doesn’t enhance the scenes and build tension, instead it overwhelms and hits a different, faster pacing to the visual. The performances from Raman Irman and Mojo Mona are attempting to create a suspense and mystery but the story and style of the film aren’t letting them blossom. There’s a sinister, dark and twisting edge which appears through their performances but it doesn’t feel as though it’s connecting with the larger atmosphere of the film.
Visualization feels more akin to a performance piece, it’s playing with artistic and experimental styles to create something abstract and mysterious. It dips its toes into the dark reaches of the mind and a touch of the sadistic but it doesn’t feel as though there’s enough of a story at work to piece it all together. It makes very intentional choices but they might not work for everyone.
FilmCarnage.com 