As a rule, the indie community is a little more accepting of new ideas. However, there is a trend within the indie community of independent distributors adopting Hollywood methods for determining what films they will and will not distribute. Nowhere is that clearer than in the case of Ink. While a generic and gimmick filmed indie flick like Paranormal Activity receives tons of support, something that is truly creative, groundbreaking, and original like Ink couldn’t even find distribution… until something funny happened. The film was leaked onto bit torrent sites… and from there word of mouth spread, until the film finally received a release. It might be the first case of piracy actually helping out filmmakers. But lost in the success of Ink is the disheartening proposition that indie distributors aren’t looking for creativity or artful success… but commercial products that are clearly marketable to moviegoing masses.

Ink is a modern day fairy tale, heaped with dark fantasy elements. The film tells the tale of a family who has gone through hard times. It also creates a parallel universe, where the dreams of people are guarded by warrior fashionistas, who can appear and reappear instantly in a flash. One night, a dark form appears and kidnaps a young girl. Her body is left in bed and in a coma, as her spirit is carried off intot he night by a scarred and hunched individual named Ink. Meanwhile, her dad, the only person who can save her, struggles with his own loss and feelings of failure. Our warrior fashinistas must rescue the girl, or she will forever spend her days in a dreamland. It’s a much more complex tale than what I just described, and the story is one of the more original things I’ve seen in a while.

Director Jamin Winans’ film is a creative indie masterpiece. While there are moments where the budget rears its ugly head, mostly with the flatness of the digital film quality and the inconsistencies in lighting, Winans makes fantastic decisions that allow the budget to work for the film and not against it. Much of the film involves silence, and lines are given only to the characters that can pull them off. Winans also boons the look of the film with some truly fascinating special effects that make the dark side of the universe that he has created appear beautiful. The pacing is a little off, and the film runs a little overlong, but the creativity of the film will overcome that fault for most people. The highlight of Winans’ directorial effort is a scene that is so complex, musical, and awe-inspiring that I would be doing you a disservice describing it. Let it just be said, that out of all the directors out there, maybe 1% could pull off the scene the way that Winans does… and only half of those on the type of budget that Winans is working with.

The cast of Ink is composed mostly of indie actors who are giving it their best. Chris Kelly is solid as the father in the equation. His character goes through the biggest transformation in the film, and he pulls it off with flying colors. Jessica Duffy is fascinating as Liev, a storyteller who protects the stolen child. Her performance is perhaps the best in the film. Of course, there are bad scenes from a child actress, but what are you going to do? She’s like 5-years-old. The rest of the cast barely talks… except for one dude named Jacob, played by Jeremy Make. Make’s performance is the quirkiest and the most memorable of the bunch, but he is basically benefitting from Jamin Winans direction in one of the most fascinating scenes in the movie.

Ink isn’t perfect, by any means, but for an indie flick, this is about as good as it gets. The creativity and thought put into the design and look of the film are simply amazing. For me, it most resembles Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s The City of Lost Children… only with a budget one-eighteenth of the size. Ink is a complex hybrid of genres that combines the dark and fantastical, the dreary and the emotional. I can see why some indie companies would pass up on distributing it… but I can’t forgive it.

Final Synopsis: Ink is a great film. For fans of quirky cinema or independent films, it’s a must-see. It’s also innocuous enough to be able to be watched by the whole family. Give it a watch when you get the chance.

Points Lost: -1 for mismatched lighting, -1 for inconsistent picture quality, -1 for some acting blips

Lesson Learned: Everything has a rhythm.

Burning Question: Can you open gateways to other worlds by tapping on a drum?

Ink
7/10

Ink (2009) - New DVD Movie Reviews9.0101

Tags: 2009, chris kelly, dark fantasy, eme ikwuakor, fairy tale, family movie, fantasy, ink film review, ink movie review, ink poster, ink review, jamin winans, jennifer batter, jeremy make, jessica duffy, latest independent movie reviews, latest indie film reviews, latest indie movie reviews, latest movie reviews, New Independent Film Reviews, new independent movie reviews, new indie film reviews, new indie movie reviews