&$MARTYRS: DON'T EVER SEE IT AND DO|*

Earlier I said I was going to see it, the film Martyrs by director Pascal Laugier, so I went. This is one of those films of which you can say it's both utterly useless and horrible, while at the same time absolutely brilliant and amazing. In its genre of horror it's the best. It's grand. There's probably nothing like it. It's so good it even exceeds the horror genre. Because the usual horror films such as The Ring (Ringu) or The Orphanage (El Orfanato) are comedies compared to Martyrs. This film is sick. It's your worst nightmare come true, so disturbing. No silly ghosts or any of that shit. What you see here could happen for real. I didn't know much about the film beforehand other than that I remember reading somwehere that some people called it torture porn. And I think that's a pretty good way to describe it. So far I could not think of one single reason why I ever should go and use something like Twitter, but after a movie like this I just feel like sharing this experience with everyone so it seems I finally have found a situation in which Twitter could be useful! :) Already during the film I couldn't wait to tell everyone about this film. That's the impact it has. Like I said in a way it's the most useless piece of film 'cause what do I have to learn from all this? Why did I have to see it? A film like this is an experience and it's up to you if you want to go through it, endure it, or rather just pass. The only moral to this film I could think of right now is to never want to help out your crazy friends. Just let them be, leave them by themselves, don't get involved 'cause it will only get you yourself in trouble. 'Cause that's what happens to Anna, the main character of the film. She's so naive, way too kind. She wants to help Lucie her friend who says she's gone through the most horrible thing, so horrible that doctors don't want to believe her. At first you think, okay, this is going to be just like the usual horror flick, I don't know if I want to believe this. But then it becomes very realistic and it turns out this isn't one of those films where dead people rise up from their graves or ghosts from the past come to haunt people. None of that fantasy bullshit. This film just gives you your worst nightmare, what you see here could happen for real and some people, like girls who got missing, we all heard about such stories in the news, they might have gone through the things these girls in Martyrs go through. But in Martyrs it goes all the way. In the beginning it has some elements of the usual horror films, where I had to chuckle because they come to use objects to hit people with that make you go like, AAAAH NICE! :) I know it's sick, but that's so ridiculous that I can't help but laugh a bit. Especially when you know you're watching a horror film and you know there might be people who get really freaked out by this. Another really cruel thing was the use of music, sad music, which made the sad and painful scenes even more sad and hard to watch. You just know that they did that on purpose, just to tease the audience. Let's make everything even worse. But seriously, some people will not want to see this movie. I'm not sure everyone could handle this, because it becomes very painful, and gets to you way more than the usual horror films. At times I could have cried like a puppy, but I kept my cool knowing that there were three girls sitting behind me, hehe :D So I thought, let's not go there! But I had tears in my eyes, because it's a really hard film. Very psychological as well. I happened to come to really care for the girls, especially Anna. Very much due to the great and fearless acting by the two main actresses. These girls rule the movie. They storm through it, nothing is taboo for them, they just do it all making it seem they had no problem playing the kind of scenes they have to play. The film is so painful and so sad. There's just nothing nice in it. It is not at all fun. NOT AT ALL. Torture porn might indeed be the best way to describe Martyrs, both audience and characters get tortured, the character of Anna to the extreme. If I could rate this movie I would give it 5 out of 5 stars. Why? Because it's the most brilliant film in its genre that I've ever seen. Normally horror films don't get to me at all. A ghost, what? I don't believe that. For me ghosts are fanatasy, not real. So I never got scared watching a horror film 'cause they feature too many elements which remind me that I'm watching a movie. You can't sell this to me as reality. But Martyrs goes much further. MUCH further. It challenges you. Just when you think it's all over, Anna is safe, think again, 'cause it's really only the beginning. After the opening scene and the showing of the title and stuff something happens that will knock you off your seat. You won't see it coming. It's the first bizarre thing that happens, and the greatest thing, which immediately sets it apart from all those other horror films. At times I was reminded of Carl Theodor Dreyer's La Passion De Jeanne D'Arc. The story of the film is amazing. I have to say I really liked the ideas which it brings up, it provides some interesting thoughts which not everyone will like and some might just brush off as stupid or ridiculous. But I really liked them and I never considered them before. And what not to like about a film which gives you a whole new perspective on something. So Martyrs don't ever see it and do. Don't see it, because you'll cry, you'll have nightmares. Holding your hand during the film won't be enough to comfort you. This is no The Orphanage. NOOOOOOO. NOT AT ALL. After leaving the cinema I could still feel it in my stomach, I noticed my breathing had changed because of watching the film. And I loved that. Not every film can do that to me, have such a physical impact. So that's one reason why you do have to go and see it. Because I don't think there's anything like it. I'm not sure even Lars Von Trier's Antichrist which caused such a commotion on Cannes this year can be worse than this. Martyrs takes everything to the extreme, your biggest fears put up on the big screen. Go see it because no other film will probably cause you so much fear and challenges you to not look away. I noticed how twice my eyes just blinked for like 1 second longer than usual, as a reflex of what I saw. Because part of me just wanted to look away. So it was like a blink that lasted just one second longer. So I never looked away, but might have missed 4 seconds of the film when you add everything up. Most of all I liked how the film is built up. It's so intense. When you think you saw it all, when every other horror film would have ended, this one goes on. And you think like, oh shit, Anna why do you have to go there? You know only bad things will come from going there. There's one character who just gave me chills, who hurt me so much just by looking at her. This character was a creature. Nothing left of her. It was painful to watch. But like I said at the same time Martyrs is all kinds of amazing. I'm glad I saw it. It's a very satisfying experience which I don't think everyone could handle. Thanks Pascal Laugier for coming up with this sick story which you have executed so brilliantly! I even felt a bit Gaspar Noé-ish, especially in a scene at the end where we get to get a very close look into Anna's eyes. I don't know what more to say. Long time since I've been so caught by a film. Last time that happened was when I saw this documentary or perhaps mockumentary (it's still not sure whether the events shown actually happened or are just a fabrication) called Unknown White Male about a man who one night gets on the metro and when waking up has no memory whatsoever of who he is. Martyrs has got me same kind of crazy. I just want to tell the whole world about this film! :D Pascal Laugier I will most definitely remember your name.