The first thing you need to know about Ink is that it is like nothing you've seen before. On one hand, you have the incredible visual style and cinematography. On the other, a powerful, believable and often heartbreaking story. Throw in powerful characterisations, high powered action sequences and brilliant costuming and acting, and you're starting to understand just what this movie is.I, like probably so many others, first heard about this film from the unique manor in which it was accepted. Over 40,000 "illegal" BitTorrent downloads were charted for this movie in the first week of it's release. So, being the curious cat that I am, I thought it was high time I checked this film out for myself.
The first thing I love about this movie, it just doesn't look like a low budget indie flick. You can tell from the word go that a lot of time and effort has been put into the crafting of the image of this film, from the camera style, to the colouration, right down to costume choice and props. My mind instantly leapt to the incredible, lavish visual style of ex-Python Terry Gilliam (The Fisher King, Tideland, 12 Monkeys). The sad and unfortunate things with beautifully shot movies, however, is that the storyline is either weakened, or abandoned all together. Well, not here.
I won't say much of the story, this is a film best experienced knowing little or nothing about it going in. At it's core, Ink is the story about a little girl and her father, and a dream world inhabited by Storytellers and Incubus (the creatures that give good dreams, or nightmares). Sounds soppy? Sounds silly? Trust me, it's not. There's more subtle power in the story of this film than can be grasped in one simple viewing. A brilliant pay-off at the end, too; althought at it's heart, this sci-fi thriller is really a love story, a story of family and devotion.
The acting has to be seen to be believed. The role of the father, played by Chris Kelly, is a challenging role for any actor, but Kelly pulls off the performance believably. The real star here, though, is Quinn Hunchar who plays the little girl Emma. She probably spends the most time on camera out of anyone, but with the least lines. Hunchar gives a performance of maturity and subtlety well beyond her years.
For once, I'm so grateful that the big companies have not picked this gem up. There is no talk of big buget remakes or sequels or any such rubbish, you can't see it at the cinemas, there's no viewing for pompous critics to rip into it and mindless masses to groan about it being "pretentious" or "inde crap". This film deserves to be view with an open mind and absored in the comfort of your own home. If this film doesn't open your eyes a little, then there's nothing in this world that will.
Ink: 10/10
