Senn
Space age movies are all the rage at the moment. Interstellar is, at the moment, blazing up box offices whilst we are still on a joint high from Guardians of the Galaxy. Space has been part of our cinematic world since George Melies sent a rocket flying into the eye of the moon in La Voyage Dans La Lune. The good thing about Space is that it is a frontier (some might say, a final frontier) that has many different worlds to explore. It’s vast and never-ending unexplored world that sometimes filmmakers forget and want to fill it with useless similar space movies. Senn is different.
The extremely cerebral and poignant film is around a line-worker who lives on a long-forgotten world called Pyom. Owned by a corporation that has since left it behind, the titular Senn gets embroiled in a difficult situation when a strange phenomenon takes over, threatening his job, relationships and existence. When it all becomes too much, an alien life-form takes him away on a journey that will change his entire life.
The premise behind Senn is handled deftly. Director Josh Feldman alongside writer Britton Watkins have introduced a unique and inspiring world that towers over with in equal complexity and beautiful. As the titular Senn travels through his aching and troubled mind-set, grappling the institutions and alien worlds that are using him, the story unfolds in this intellectual and stirring way. As the truth behind his visions become clearer, the plot thickens and is executed greatly by the director who also manages to enchant you with his wholly original tale that is unmatched in the independent world. It’s wonderful when grasped and absorbing when you enter into it completely.
But the main grace in Senn is its combination between beautiful imagery. The film is hauntingly visual, and set to a score that never hounds our scenes but instead underlines the intense vibrancy of the film. The completely realised world, that is lifted from a Korean War-like state, really imposes wonderfully in the film whilst the alien landscape is, too, undeniably brilliant. Allowing us to melt into these worlds, Feldman truly captures the science-fiction movie that is exquisitely matched by the operatic soundtrack that is, indeed, another by after viewing. It’s this aesthetic that immerses you in the world of the film and pulls Senn from merely good to excellent and a must-see for fans of the genre.
Senn is a generally impressive independent film that sometimes shuffles along slowly and takes a while for you to grasp all the elements that are interlocked in it. There are some points where the acting feels awkward but it isn’t too horrid to mar the film or drag it down. With Feldman’s work, if you are truly engaged (such as Nolan’s space epic romp, it requires maximum concentration,) Senn has a lot of impact that will linger on your mind long after viewing. A generally impressive independent film, Josh Feldman’s work is a thudding mark in science fiction territory and must launch him into a vibrant world of film-making.
Pun-ly put, it’s Senn-sational
You can buy Senn at Reelhouse now.