FRONTIER(S)
© Lionsgate
Mania Grade: B
Rated: Unrated
Starring: Samuel Le Bihan, Karina Testa, Aurélien Wiik, Patrick Ligardes, David Saracino, Chems Dahmani
Written By: Xavier Gens
Directed By: Xavier Gens
Distributor: Lionsgate
Original Year of release: 2008
Extras: English Subtitles
Buy it now!
Rated: Unrated
Starring: Samuel Le Bihan, Karina Testa, Aurélien Wiik, Patrick Ligardes, David Saracino, Chems Dahmani
Written By: Xavier Gens
Directed By: Xavier Gens
Distributor: Lionsgate
Original Year of release: 2008
Extras: English Subtitles
Buy it now!
DVD Review: FRONTIER(S)
By: Robert T. TrateDate: Saturday, May 10, 2008
Several young thieves pull off a small bank heist during a race riot in Paris. After escaping from the authorities they are separated and agree to rendezvous at a hostel. Tom (David Saracino) and Farid (Chems Dahmani) arrive first and unwittingly fall into the clutches of a deranged family. All the while Yasmine (Karina Testa) and Alex (Aurélien Wiik), two estranged lovers, hurry to catch up with them.
Yes, it all sounds familiar. Young, unsuspecting travelers stay at a hostel and end up fighting for their lives. What makes this film stand out from all the films in the new “torture porn” genre? This film invokes the best of Hostel and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) delivering scares that Rob Zombie was only trying to accomplish in House of 1000 Corpses.
This particular deranged family has an incestuous Neo-Nazi father that believes that he and his offspring will bring the master race back from the dead. They live on an old abandoned mine shaft that houses their less than perfect offspring. His sons and daughters are cannibalistic killers that not only thrive off of what they do but fight and amongst themselves as well.
If the film was a simple “torture porn” it would have been dull. However, what brings Frontier(s) to a different level is the family’s adoption of Yasmine (Karina Testa). Her indoctrination and breaking of spirit begins when the father discovers she is already pregnant. Seeing it as a sign, Yasmine goes from impure to godsend. The scene that follows is the scariest in the whole film. Here, Yasmine meets Klaudia (Amélie Daure), the youngest and pregnant daughter of the father. The entire scene exists is as if it is between two dolls in a playhouse. Klaudia instructs Yasmine what to expect, how to act and feel all so she’ll be able to survive. It is Klaudia’s broken spirit and blind faith to her father that really twisted the plot of this “torture porn”. Here was someone dedicated to her deformed children and her way of life attempting to convince someone that it will all be okay. Klaudia seems like the normal one in this family of freaks that saves the day. It is a tired cliché from the genre dating all the way back to the original Hills Have Eyes. Amélie Daure’s performance makes this particular type of character unique in a now bloated genre.
Karina Testa’s performance as Yasmine is a great descent into madness. Eventually she’ll have to bring herself to the family’s horrific level to survive. Her final moments are definitely the ones that stick with you long after the film has concluded.
What was difficult about the film was feeling anything for the first two thieves when they enter the hostel. They are violent, rude and arrogant to the family, before the family reveals its motives. Unlike Eli Roth’s Hostel where you feel for Paxton and Josh, here there is satisfaction watching Tom and Farid get theirs.
Outside of the father and his blatant fascist master race rants the men of Frontier(s) are all clichés. For the family there are two sons competing for the Alpha male position, plus a heavy-set quiet son with remorse and a secret love. The victims are arrogant, stupid and fall into every trap. In short, they deserve to die because they aren’t smart enough to escape.
besides, "NINE films to DIE for" just sounds stupid... i'll have to check it out.
I also dont believe that "it was too scary for theaters" saying what? its scary enough for DVD? gimme a break, thats lame