Still Life (2014 film)

Last updated
Still Life
Still Life 2014 poster.jpg
Film poster
Naturaleza muerta
Directed byGabriel Grieco
Written byGabriel Grieco
StarringSabrina Carballo
Luz Cipriota
Ezequiel De Almeida
CinematographyMariano Suarez
Edited byJuan Zavalla
Music byPablo Vostrouski
Production
companies
Estudios CREPUSCULUM
Yomka Pictures
Distributed byClarovideo - DLA (Latin America)
Release date
  • October 7, 2014 (2014-10-07)(Sitges Film Festival)
Running time
98 minutes
CountryArgentina
LanguageSpanish

Still Life, originally released in Argentina and Spain under the title Naturaleza muerta, is a Spanish language thriller film and the feature film directorial debut of Gabriel Grieco. [1] The movie had its world premiere on 7 October 2014 at the Sitges Film Festival and stars Luz Cipriota as a journalist whose devotion to her craft has placed her life in danger. In 2013 an unfinished version of the film was one of two films that were given a Bloody Work in Progress Award by the Ventana Sur film festival, [2] [3] which secured distribution rights for DVD, VOD and pay tv for Mexican territory. [4]

Contents

Synopsis

Jazmín (Luz Cipriota) is an intrepid young reporter that decides to investigate the disappearance of the daughter of a wealthy cattle businessman. She soon finds that this disappearance is more than what it seems, as it is related to multiple murders and the resulting story has the potential to give Jazmín a name in the reporting world. As she delves deeper and deeper into the mystery she also brings herself and her cameraman closer to danger, as someone or someones do not want their activities to be uncovered.

Cast

Development

Grieco stated that he was inspired to create Still Life after watching an Anima Naturalis television spot that focused on animal rights NGOs. [5] [6] He stated that he then began to view footage of cruelty inflicted on food animals, which he felt was a double standard because while the cruelty existed it did not deter consumer purchasing rates and seemed to Grieco as if the cruelty was deliberately being ignored. [6] Grieco filmed the movie on a limited budget and actress Cipriota stated that this aspect was part of what drew her to the film. [7]

Reception

Bloody Disgusting gave Still Life 3.5 out of 5 skulls, writing that while most of the film- particularly its opening prologue- was extremely powerful, the film's epilogue was "so painfully contrived and farcical that it shirks off the previous 90 minutes and dives headfirst into laughable slasher territory." [8]

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References

  1. Zimmerman, Samuel. "Fantastic Fest Report: Horror is Alive, Vital and Varied". Fangoria. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
  2. Mango, Agustin. "Ventana Sur: 'Natural Science' and 'Los Banistas' Win Primer Corte Awards". The Hollywood Reporter (cached). Retrieved 10 December 2014.
  3. "Best of the Fest Hits Cannes: 'Still Life,' 'Darkness by Day' and More". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
  4. "Blood Window". Ventana Sur. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
  5. "No te pierdas en las olas: Parte IV – Una nueva esperanza". Notas. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
  6. 1 2 ""Naturaleza Muerta", impresionante tráiler de la primera película de terror con temática vegana". Vos. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
  7. "Argentina Cipriota: estrenar "Naturaleza muerta" en Cannes fue "inesperado"". Univision Colorado. Archived from the original on 10 December 2014. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
  8. Cooper, Patrick. "[MHHFF Review] Argentina's 'Still Life' Is an Uneven Slasher-Mystery". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved 10 December 2014.