Midnight Special (2016)

Slo naslov: -  

Država: ZDA 

Leto: 2016

Dolžina: 112',  Imdb

Žanri: Avantura, Drama, ZF  

Slo recenzija: Filmoljub

Režija: Jeff Nichols

Scenarij: Jeff Nichols

Igrajo: Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, Jaeden Lieberher, Adam Driver, Sam Shepard

[SLO]

...gre za razmeroma običajno sci-fi zgodbo o dečku z nadnaravnimi sposobnostmi (Jaeden Lieberher), ki v spremstvu očeta (Michael Shannon) in njegovega požrtvovalnega prijatelja policista (Joel Edgerton) po stranskih cestah beži čez državo. Za petami so jim fanatični verski kult pod vodstvom njegovega starega očeta (Sam Shepard), kjer je deček odrastel in ki v njem vidi mesijo ter kanalizatorja božjih sporočil, ter zvezni agentje (Adam Driver), ki iščejo krivca za nekatere nerazložljive pojave, prestrezanje tajnih šifriranih kod med vohunskimi sateliti in nenadni padec enega od teh na Zemljo. Mladi Alton, ki mora zaradi varnosti nositi modra očala in se na vsak način izogibati sončni svetlobi, je v resnici nekaj tretjega: posrednik med svetom ljudi in nedoumljivo razvitimi bitji iz civilizacije, skrite v vzporedni dimenziji. Na vnaprej določen dan mora priti na določeno mesto, kjer bo vzpostavil stik s silami, ki jih je dotlej samo slutil in katerih energijo je nehote prevajal med običajne ljudi; kaj se bo zgodilo potem, pa ne ve nihče. (Filmoljub)

[ENG]

Every mile that Roy and his eight-year-old son cover on their journey down highways and byways brings us closer to their incredible story. Gradually, we begin to understand why this boy with extraordinary powers has to wear protective glasses. We also learn why religious extremists are interested in him, and why both the local police and high-ranking American government officials are hot on the heels of father and son. In his new film Jeff Nichols may have changed genres but he remains true to himself. Midnight Special is an idiosyncratic mixture of science-fiction and family saga; at the same time, Nichols continues to explore the structures of violence and paranoia in small-town America, showing us both the influence wielded by arch-conservative sects and the powerlessness of the individual in the face of an aggressive state apparatus. The longer their flight continues, the more fantastical it becomes as we observe a loving father undertaking everything in his power to lead his son to his destiny a destiny that could also decide the fate of the entire world. (Via Berlinale.de)

*************

Opening with a child abduction and ending with a spectacular sci-fi finale on par with “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” the Bible Belt-spanning “Midnight Special” demonstrates once and for all that indie auteur Jeff Nichols is now the go-to storyteller for the kind of slow-burn supernatural thrill audiences once sought from M. Night Shyamalan — that is, before the “Sixth Sense” director went off the deep end with “Lady in the Water.” Serving up hefty human insight in place of third-act gimmickry, and reuniting him with “Take Shelter” star Michael Shannon, Nichols’ impressively restrained yet limitlessly imaginative fourth feature takes its energy from an ensemble of characters who hold fast to their convictions, even though their beliefs remain shrouded in mystery for much of the journey. (Peter Debruge, Variety)

Jeff Nichols’ urgent, unsettling Midnight Special is a crafted progression from such beloved 1970s dramas as Close Encounters of The Third Kind or Starman. Low-key, intense, and very, very secretive, it should be just as loved by similar audiences today. Special effects, world-building and an 8-year-old boy who must wear goggles may all require viewer buy-in, but faith is a huge human driver for this feature. Michael Shannon, burning with a father’s all-consuming love for his son, is again transfixing in his fourth feature for Nichols. (Fionnuala Halligan, Screen Daily)

Ocena