Lo Delivers Intrigue: A Movie Review

Writer/director: Travis Betz.

Lo is a film from Travis Betz that began filming within Los Angeles in the summer of 2007. The film has spent some time on the film festival circuit including the Austin Film Festival and now the film will be available on DVD, as of February 9th. Lacking in set design, Lo seems like a play divided into acts that would be suitable for a small audience rather than a solitary viewing. Lo tackles one of the most complex of emotions, love. According to Betz love is hell and so is the final scene of the film.

Lo centers around the concept of love, as Justin (Ward Roberts) travels to hell in search of his passion, April (Sarah Lassez). Justin is protected from death by a pentagram, but demon Lo (Jermiah Birkett) is able to torment "dinner" despite this magical protection. In search of his beloved Justin undergoes the greatest of punishment just to find April only to see her in true form. And love in this case is not as beautiful as some poets would have us believe.

Director Betz envisioned the film after viewing Jan Svankmeijer's Faust and thought of placing "a single actor [in] a lone circle drawn on the floor." Much of the film occurs in a single 10' by 10' square in darkness, which is illuminated by some candlelight and lighting effects. The settings are not expensive, but the message of Lo is valuable. Low in production design, the majority of the film involves a continuing conflict between Lo and Justin. While cleverly and expertly acted the settings are often not as exciting as they could be. However, this is not just a film about set design.

The incredible torment Justin undergoes in order to reach April is brutal and the homage to Evil Dead 2, with main character Justin fighting his own hand is comedic yet the resolution of the film is unsatisfactory. As the viewer a successful film like Lo will draw the audience in to care and empathize with the characters, which the film does with regard, however the poorly developed fifth act leaves Justin without his desire and the scene seems incomplete. That aside, Lo still creates a horrific atmosphere through make-up and lighting.

Shot on a micro-budget Lo seems, at times, like too much of a play. The directing techniques are kept simple with close in shots to emphasize the excellent make-up, yet there is only a wider shot in the final few minutes of the film and during the rendition of "Demon Girl." Although the subject matter of love deserves endless debate, a hero who goes literally through hell has earned his April.

In the end, Lo is a suitable film to watch with a few friends to debate the film's interesting subject matter. Creative, unique, quirky and initially comedic, Lo shows Travis Betz's writing ability and the film will likely be seen as a stepping stone towards more expensive and elaborate productions. Available shortly Lo is recommendable, but the film will not appeal to everyone. One thing is certain, however, most of the creative ideas are coming out of these grassroot independent films like Lo.

Setting/realistic/authenticity: 4.
Plot/story/treatment/attitude: 6.
Characters/ interaction/believability:6.75 (special note goes here for Jermiah Birkett as Lo).
Editing/continuity/pacing/denouement: 6.5.

Overall: 6 out of 10 screaming warlocks out of 10.

For those interested in the project visit the homepage of Lo for a trailer:

Lo Homepage

Purchasable through Amazon.com here:



Sources:

Lo Movie Review at Quiet Earth

Lo Article at Bloody Disgusting


Lo at Travis Betz's Website

Stumble It!

Posted in: 2010,acting,cast,crew,directing,ghost story,homepage,lighting,movie poster,movie review,movie trailer