This is normally not something I’d review, but I decided to go for something a little different. Also because I met the writer/director/lead actor at an event hosted by Raindance one night and the two of us were engaged in a rather colourful conversation. Nathan Slattery is an interesting person with a unique personality. Having recently arrived in Vancouver a few years back, he told me many interesting stories about his film industry experience and when I explained I review movies on this site he told me to check out his rather abstract but impressive film.
Some time ago in the early 2000s Nathan auditioned for the leading role in Superman (2004) and was sadly rejected by the casting director. After that, he made a getaway to China and received a strange box from a Chinese salesman. Nathan looked inside the box he obtained and discovered it had little soldier figurines and then it made him wonder “What if they actually existed?” So, he decided to make that little thought into a story, told through this movie.
It tells the story of a traveler named Ardalaun (Nathan Slattery) who is told about the Terracotta soldiers from Realt (Berkus), an elderly prophet. Ardalaun is given a mysterious box and told to beware of a sorcerer named Xelo (John Brett) who wants the box for himself as it holds the soldiers and will give him power. Ardalaun stumbles across an amazing sense of power himself when one of his first steps on the journey has him meeting a maiden named Electra (Christine Utzeri) and walking into a mystical waterfall which teleports him into the future. After a magic tree gives him a modern wardrobe, Ardalaun runs his way through the town where he is pitted against new opponents, makes acquaintances with interesting allies, and comes across fantastic discoveries while fighting and escaping the Terracotta soldiers.
Well, it is rather abstract and interesting. It was pieced together with a plot line very much similar to a dream that one has almost always. Acting, while somewhat a bit forced by some people and not exactly top notch, was still presentable among most of the main characters. Especially Nathan himself as Ardalaun as he explores the world around him on his amazing quest (from driving through a grocery store to dueling the Terracotta soldiers, everything he does is astounding). But another good performance is done by Christine Utzeri as Electra. Utzeri’s character is a mystical and mysterious performance of a stunning character as she walks on water and speaks in Gaelic giving a little bit more of unique flavour to the whole mix of Biopsy Shake. Now the effects weren’t exactly that of high quality, but there weren’t really too many effects needed. For what it was worth, this film was still kind of enjoyable. Action was pretty exciting, and I do like the idea of someone from the past randomly jumping into the present day. It has been done before, but this still was a fun and exciting film to watch. It’s the contents of several dreams, unspeakable discoveries and ancient legends along with contents from different subjects and plots blended and shook together in a tall can of creativity and served as a flavourful film. I would suggest checking it out yourself and seeing what you can can make of it. It’s open for interpretation. Nathan Slattery has an exciting personality and a very strange yet impressive view on things. It really has me thinking about a lot of things in life…
Really, thinking…
About lots of things…