(2003/RUSSIA)
Review By-Alex Directed by-Andrey Iskanov
Cast-Alexander Shevchenko as Hitman, Irina Nikitina as Hitgirl, Svyatoslav Iliyasov as Hitman/Creature, Andrey Iskanov as Boss/Creature, voice/Second Psychiatrist Voice, Alexandra Batrumova as Boss's Girl, Victor Silkin as First Psychiatrist Voice, Igor Orlov as Mirror Ghost
Runtime - 60 Minutes
Source-VHS ScreenerI guess, the title Nails speaks for itself: the Hitman (Alex Shevchenko) tries to cure his splitting headache by hammering nails into his own head. The film follows hero s exploration of pain and sensitivity and it's effects on his relationship with his working colleague Hitgirl(Irina Nikitina). When I finished watching Andrey s film for the first time, I had the funny feeling: movie was definitely over, but I couldn't remember much. Certainly there were gore scenes, and loads of bizarre surrealist touches, but extremely little in a way of more traditional stuff, like, say, plot. It's in a way similar to Fulci's A CAT IN THE BRAIN, where halfway through the film main characters and story drown in gore and insanity. I really loved the way certain shots were executed. Andrey s eye for sticking visuals is strongly evident there. He manages to make even the most ordinary actions and things, such as, for example, some water being poured into a glass, or a straight razor shining on the edge of the sink, look stunning, giving them strange other wordly beauty.
Most of the film s action is happening within the walls of tiny flat where the hitman lives (it s actually Andrey Iskanov s own flat in Habarovsk, and it served him as a studio and special effects lab for many years). The flat s interior keeps changing constantly. Every nail that penetrates hero's brain brings changes to his vision. So the world around him(which is budget-consciously limited to one room) transforms constantly. At first bleak and uncomfortable, it becomes wildly colourful and mysterious. Ultimately it seems, the setting is not the flat, but hero s very own head. He is numbed by the monotonous routine of his job, which will probably be considered rather entertaining by many viewers (see the opening shootout scene). Look out for director himself in a cameo as a mafia boss who gets his brains blown out for making a joke about the president. By the way, boss' henchmen are wearing masks resembling of president Putin s face... This scene and the rapidly becoming famous tinned food sequence are all examples of dark social satire Andrey Iskanov fills his film with.
The director also constantly questions the realism of reality itself. By showing the world transform, or, rather, mutate Iskanov obviously suggests that it is not in fact as solid and unchangable as it seems. He points out our brain as a door to countless other realities existing beyond the commonly known one. Andrey goes on developing this theme further in his second movie, Visions of suffering. Since it's initial release on VHS in Russia a couple of years ago (in a shorter and far less effective version), I've re-watched Nails multiple times. I wanted to get past grotesque imagery and into the core of the film, only to discover that this film doesn't have one, at least, not in a traditional meaning. It makes little sense but offers strong visuals and thick atmosphere instead. In short, the film applies mainly to the senses, not the logic.
Nails contains numerous references to horror classics, among the more obvious ones are Xtro, Tetsuo and Phantasm, as director himself points out. I believe Nails to be a fine example of independent cinema. The director almost succeeds in turning imagery into substance here. Will be appreciated by those in favour of surrealism in their gore. The DVD is soon to be released by Unearthed films.
3.5/5 BITCH SLAPS
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