Pretty Good

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Invariably, this film will be compared to other "mockumentary" and fake-snuff films such as the AUGUST UNDERGROUND films, MAN BITES DOG, THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, THE LAST HORROR MOVIE, and Tamakichi Anaru's PSYCHO: THE SNUFF REELS and SUICIDE DOLLS - but what SUICIDE (aka FINALCUT.COM) has that these others lack, is ABSOLUTE REALISM. There's a lot that goes on in this SOV mini-masterpiece, but one thing is certain - IT FEELS REAL...There's a lot going on under the surface of this film, but the basic concept is about a couple who offer their "services" to tape the last moments of willing participants who are going to commit suicide. From what I gathered (and I can't really be positive about this due to the ambiguous nature of the film - but a certain "deleted scene" seems to confirm my suspicions...), the first several suicides are staged to "drum-up" business for their website which is offering this unique service, which it is implied that the couple are doing to sell for media attention. But once the business starts rolling in, they take part, at least in the filming - and sometimes more - of these individual's last moments...I've watched a lot of this sort of thing, and SUICIDE is the most realistic of the bunch. I can't say that it's an enjoyable film, but I give SUICIDE such a high rating because it is exactly what it is meant to be - a sick take on the reality film/TV craze and it's ever-increasing play on "shock value". It also shows how something that could be considered an "innocent" concept can quickly escalate into an uncontrollable situation (which is best noted in the last two segments).The performances of the suicide participants are all so visceral and real, and so well staged, that you really can get sucked into the notion that this is the real thing (even the ones that I believe were purposely staged). Some of the characters choose to explain why they've decided to end their lives - some don't. There's very little "filler" so each participant's story is interesting in it's own right and the film as a whole moves along at a fairly brisk pace. The whole film is handled as if the audience were right there witnessing these acts. There isn't an over-abundance of theatrics or gore, which makes the scenes that much more believable, and there is such a variety of acts and reasons portrayed, and they're all done so realistically, that the film never gets boring or tedious.SUICIDE got to me on a level that few films do. I think that above all, the actors should be applauded for the commitment level and the realism-factor that is brought to the table in their respective roles. Nothing about SUICIDE comes off as forced or phony, it just is what it is. And for once (and only once...) I actually feel that the down-playing of gore and sleaze made this film stand out amongst all others of it's genre. Definitely a challenging and "disturbing" film - so mainstream horror-goers may as well pass this one by...but for those that truly appreciate subversive and thought-provoking cinema - this ones for you...9/10

The appeal of "reality television" is, on the surface, easily explainable: there's an undeniable intensity to any viewing experience where the viewer can't tell himself, "it's only a movie" (or TV show). It ups the ante for the viewer, and is infinitely more compelling. Since this intensification is applied across the board, its presence in television is a match made in heaven, since it allows lazy producers to present half-baked contents and still make them effective.This movie eschews the aforementioned ineptitudes and presents an already compelling topic and cranks up the intensity meter almost past the level of endurance. The "Blair Witch" way in which this film is presented - is it real, or isn't it? - is brilliantly done and genuinely convincing, and the first viewing of this movie, particularly if the viewer is unfamiliar with any of the production details, can be harrowing. To our mind, this really is happening on the screen.And here's the spoiler which sums up the way the movie affected me personally: All through my first viewing, I couldn't get it out of my head that this all could be the real thing flickering on my screen. This movie never "blinks," it never tips its hand to let you in on a camera trick, or a jump cut...until the very end.The very last scene, where the filmmaker himself seems to get murdered by his partner, looks as real as all which has come before it. Unless, that is, you focus your eyes on the trees in the background, and you see the tiniest jump of the leaves where the real footage and the fake death were masterfully spliced together. Watch for it, and instead of seeming like a flaw, you realize just how brilliant the cutting was.However, considering that, immediately before this scene, the two filmmakers are discussing faking the death in that exact way, it still doesn't represent a break in the film's veracity. Masterful. Really masterful.This isn't a fun film. But it's a film you won't soon forget, either.

This German film, released here with it's original soundtrack and English subtitles, is totally unique in it's subject matter and in its form. Roughly it is about a young couple who decide to offer their services on a website to film other people's suicide. There is a lot more to it, but there are some very interesting and unexpected plot twists that would be a shame to give away - you just have to see this for yourself. It is entirely shot on Digital Video - but BEWARE all those people who have some strange grudge against this medium, let me tell you: this is the only way this film could have been made. This is one of those films where the choice of that medium is essential, enhances the horrifying nature of the film and, indeed, is no less than a character in the story. Funny thing is that, partly because of the use of video instead of film stock, this film looks as though it was a lot easier to make than in reality is the case. There is no use of the obvious and much-too-often used digital effects that we are bored with in the multiplex theaters, everything looks as though it is plainly shot with a small hand-held camera. But the suicides that are shown are so shockingly realistic and indeed much better looking than rapidly outdated digital effects in any 100 million dollar movie that it is hard to believe that the makers of this "small" film have achieved this level of 100% realism. This is enhanced by the true-to-life acting of absolutely everybody in this film. It is dark and very unsettling, but essential to everyone interested in intelligent horror films, German cinema from the likes of Jorg Buttgereit or Michael Haneke and for everyone who wants just that little bit more from a movie-experience than just laid-back entertainment.

FinalCut.com or Suicide as it is called in Troma's American release, is another DV movie, that longs to be gritty by being shot handycam style with the cameraman/character combination done in that pseudo documentary style that was popular late nineties to around 2000 , that seems to be in least in that dogme 95 aesthetic where you come to a location as is for a set, use only your camera mic for the sound, very minimal music and sound effects (most music being played on set by a stereo somewhere), no studio light just practicals, what seems to be improvisation by the actors,etc. One of those movies where it seems the only budgets was ten dollar mini-dv tapes, and the actors salaries if they were paid.The movies about a couple who film suicides for a website(that we never see in the movie or see them work on, just hear about) that they then think will be juicy/or exploitative to make them money or something .The movie seems to be trying to comment on that kind of Reality T.V./ Rotten.com /Faces of death exploitation though it's never very clear why they're doing it, except to maybe get a cheap thrill or make a little money and it's definitely not clear why the people committing suicide are allowing themselves to be videotaped.Anyway, the movie's basic flow is a long kind of confessional suicide by some person, and then a short interlude with the couple commenting on how the footage of that suicide went, as they drive in the car to the next suicide to film. You never really get to know much about the main characters, and you never see the people who are committing suicide for the video's other than the short time before they do themselves in, so the viewer longs for more depth to the subject matter or more characterization. This approach could be explained away into the very minimal nature of the movie, but it comes off as too minimal, as if it's begging for you to read more into it than it's really delivering. The movie definitely as a staccato kind of rhythm with these scenes in this storytelling style, but it's also that repetition that makes you start to lose interest in each new scenes similarities. The movie kind of plays on that whole filmmaker documenting killer of abuser of some sort who inadvertedly starts to participate in the killing or exploitation that he's filming, and may start to enjoy it. (You definitely get the feeling that the filmmakers saw "Man bites Dog" or "Series 7", but those two movies pull it off better). The movie also plays with the thought, that maybe the first suicides were faked as to get get participation by suicidal people later. But those two potentially juicy subjects are not developed enough either in spite of or because of it's minimalist/earnest style. On the upside, some of it's pretty well acted for the most part (some of the suicides don't ring true, but are they supposed to at first?) It definitely has some moments that our bit disturbing (which is why you're probably interested in the movie) it's too short at 85 minutes to completely drag the concept out too far, and the style works for the movie (though you can never tell with these types of movies, whether the moviemakers thought:I got this really interesting disturbing idea for a movie lets make it lo-fi/ or, we could quickly, cheaply, and easily make a lo-fi/dogme type of movie what would make people watch it.)Anyway, I'm going on tangents. I would give this movie about a five, it moderately keeps your attention for it's duration, but it could be much a jucier subject, and the movie's not nearly as disturbing or provocative as it wants to be.