Intensity: 🩸🩸out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸
Written and Directed by Fabio D’Orta
The Complex Forms is a master achievement in production design. Everything, from the stunning black-and-white cinematography, the conceptual creature designs, the stark splendor of the sets, and the pulsing orchestral score, pushes the envelope for an independent film budget. The story, however, though narratively simple, is very difficult to digest in one sitting. Multiple viewings may be required to understand the plot.
In a grand but dilapidating estate, desperate men check in to volunteer for a strange experiment in exchange for money. They are to be possessed, and they are willingly doing so. A chauffeur picks them up in a black Mercedes and drops them off at the steps to this palatial facility, and they accept this new bargain.
These men are biding their time. Even when confronted with terrifying visitations from things beyond imagination, they largely hold their cool. Many of them have accepted their fates. This place is not of this world. Instead, it likely exists between worlds. Someone or something is evaluating these desperate souls. The Complex Forms deals with big metaphysical concepts and is oozing with symbolism and metaphor. Not surprisingly, it’s a bit of a tricky watch.
The Cast
- David Richard White plays Christian Del Ben
- Michele Venni plays Luh, Christian’s roommate and closest confidant
- Cesare Bonomelli plays the Giant, the newest roommate. Stoic and observant.
- Enzo Solazzi plays the Director and is the head of the facility.
- Giovanni Corridori plays the Chief of Guardians, who maintains order in the manor.
A Short Synopsis (Minor spoilers) of The Complex Forms:
We meet Christian Del Ben, who is registering for this unusual program. He negotiates with the facility’s director and agrees to a tidy sum of 10,000 Euros in exchange for twelve days at the man, providing kitchen help and chores around the facility. Most importantly, he agrees to be possessed.
He does not know the nature of the possession, but the money is enough for him to go through the procedure. The estate’s doctor informs David that the possession will only leave him with a big headache that can be treated with aspirin. No big deal. At his first meal, he meets a middle-aged man who informs Christian that they are roommates and that he has just arrived himself. By rule of contract, sharing names is forbidden, but that does not prevent them from becoming friends. Together, they try to discern this place’s rules and purpose. The residents here “know” why they are here, but even for them, it’s a bit hazy. A third roommate arrives. A big man, the Giant, who says little but is paying close attention to all that is happening.
A thunderclap announces the arrival of the beings that will possess the men. These are wildly fantastic creatures, appearing to be gigantic crustaceans festooned with ornate Art Nouveau patterns and jangling with jewelry. Several of these impressive visitors parade through the great entry hall and take up “Office” on the ground floor. How they fit through those little doors remains a mystery. The visitors select a resident for possession. The man enters that office and never emerges. That is not a good sign, to be sure.
The creatures violently abduct another one of the residents. One of the beings emerges from nowhere during a game of cards and whisks the poor man away. David and his two roomies decide to break out of what they now determined to be a prison. They have seen enough. Damn the contracts, they are leaving. Or… so they had hoped. The trio attempts to flee the manor but fails to find safe passage. Returning back to the estate, they await whatever fate comes for them. It appears that their contracts are more binding than they had bargained for.
Evaluation of The Complex Forms:
Once again, I will emphasize how stellar this film looks. Fabio D’Orta’s background is in visual effects and illustration. Not surprisingly, he has an incredible eye for the craft. It should, therefore, not be a huge surprise that this debut feature is such a technical triumph. The devil is in the details, or perhaps, more accurately stated, the details are ON the devils. It is difficult to see when watching this in full motion, but when you see the still images, it is clear that the artistic filigree in the manor is also on the monsters. It should also be noted, that perhaps these are not devils, demons, or aliens. Who is to say what angels look like? Maybe angels appear to be giant decorated space lobsters. You never know… until you die.
The Complex Forms shows rather than tells most of its story. The relative sparseness of dialogue leaves the narrative fairly ambiguous. Even after repeated viewings, it is difficult to comprehend the conclusion. The complexity noted in the title arrives in the third act, as reality-twisting possibilities of Biblical proportions are suggested. Even with the characters musing their fates, the audience is left to fit the puzzle pieces of the meaning of the manor and the men inside. The movie makes you work for the conclusion, but it’s a satisfying realization once you figure it out. I needed a second watch to connect the dots, but it was worth it.
David Richard White’s acting carries this film with his expressive eyes and weathered and worn countenance. Brian Callahan, the festival director for The Portland Horror Film Festival, informed me that White was the only professional actor in the cast. Still, the rest of the cast performed admirably. (It also helps with the limited dialogue.) Enzo Solazzi, in particular, impresses with a Peter Cushing-like steeliness performing in his role as the Director.
The original score by Riccardo Amorese soars from the opening credits. The music and sound design carry much of this film’s emotional weight, particularly with the limited amount of dialogue. It makes the film feel BIG. The monsters rumble and jangle. The halls echo with the sound of men doing their chores. Lastly, award top marks to Mariangela Bombardieri, the set designer, location scout, and costume designer. You don’t have access to these kinds of places in the U.S.A. D’Orta marries the sounds and the sights of his film masterfully.
Conclusion:
I overheard many in the audience leaving the theater proclaiming how much they enjoyed this movie. The power of the audio/visual experience suggests that the big screen is the best way to watch this film, but this might be a film that would be most appreciated with the ability to stop and examine the film up close and to be able to rewatch the film for the nuances. Despite the story’s simplicity (you essentially follow Christian through the whole film, taking in what he is experiencing), the symbolism and metaphors required a second watch for me to digest fully.
This is an art piece film, perhaps most reminiscent to me of another film that was shown at the Portland Horror Film Festival back in 2018, The Laplace’s Demon, another Italian black and white showcase of a trapped mansion. The pacing of the film rolls along languidly like a slowly unfolding nightmare. The monsters move slowly and deliberately as well, reinforcing the sense of impending doom. This film stimulates the brain more than it moves the heart, though some of the slow-motion spectacle will make your jaw drop. This movie won’t make you laugh and probably won’t make you cry. Go see this film to have your mind blown.
This film is currently showing strictly on the Film Festival Circuit. A distributor like Magnet or Mubi should pick up the distribution. The Complex Forms deserves promotion by a company that knows fantastical foreign art-house films. When this film arrives streaming, The Scariest Things will let you know where you can find it.
Review by Eric Li
