Mexico is not just a foreign country for many Americans, but a foreign concept entirely. The language, the culture and the people are so distant, so strange for many of us. And in "Circulation" they become all that much more strange. We enter amidst two lives intersecting: Gene (Sherman Koltz), an American heading south and Ana (Yvonne Delarosa), a Mexican woman looking to find her boyfriend and escape her abusive ex-husband. Their journey becomes something spiritual, something transcendent.
Let me offer a disclaimer on my rating for this film: Generally when I review independent films, I grade them a little bit higher than other people do, because I want to give the creators credit for going to great lengths on a limited budget. So an above average rating on an independent film may not indicate it being as good as an above average mainstream film. That being said, I graded "Circulation" on the mainstream scale. To grade it on the independent scale would mean a perfect score, because there`s basically nothing more that could have been added to this film.
The colors and scenery are wonderful and the setting of Mexico is a nice change of pace. The characters are interesting (particularly Gene), the actors quite professional and the music blends in as smoothly as rum and Coke. I have to give particular credit to the cinematographer or director of photography. So many shots were lined up crisply and imaginatively. Watch your standard independent film and count the unique angles and cuts. You`ll find a small handful. Here, the angles keep shifting (but not to the point of being erratic) and we`re given a panoramic view into an isolated world, if that contradiction makes sense.
The creator of this film, Ryan Harper, knows what he`s doing. The plot`s pace is smooth... we aren`t left dangling long enough to grow bored, but we`re not rushed either. And there`s a fair level of intelligence to the script that I don`t see in this line of work (no disrespect to horror writers, but "teen gets stabbed" is hardly original). A puzzle is being solved and we`re given pieces along the way, starting with the opening line. You might get it right away, you might get it halfway through or, if you`re like many of the reviewers for this film, it might be your second viewing (and you`ll want to see this one at least twice anyway).
I was in the "halfway" camp. I understood the big plot point (I don`t want to give anything away, though) but many questions went unanswered until nearly the end: why are people vomiting? What`s with the rope? When it clicked, I realized the biggest clue had been at the start of the film before I knew I was looking for clues. Well played, Mr. Harper... keeping me on my toes.
Expect this film to get plenty of rave reviews on the film festival circuit. If we`re very lucky, this is the sort of film I`d love to see show up at "After Dark Horrorfest". Too "underground" to get a lot of theater coverage, I can still see this hitting theaters through "After Dark"... and while this is a bit different from their prior selections (no vampires or zombies here) I think the audience would really appreciate what is being offered. I think it goes without saying, but I`m recommending "Circulation". So rarely do we see beautiful, original and well-produced work in the "horror" genre (although this could also be fantasy or drama)... thanks for the breath of fresh air.
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