Reviewed by Carol Sullivan
Genre: Thriller, Horror, Sci-Fi
Rating: R
Director: Marc Caro
Starring: Lambert Wilson, Linh Dan Pham, Simona Maicanescu, Dominique Pinon, Bruno Lochet
Studio: Dimension Extreme
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When I saw the dvd cover for the sci-fi thriller, Dante 01, I have to admit to having had high hopes. As it was Directed by visionary Marc Caro (Delicatessen and City of Lost Children) and the fact that the cover's synopsis sounded promising, I rented it immediately. Now that I have watched it, I am left shaking my head...
The movie begins as we meet Saint George (Lambert Wilson, The Lazarus Project); accused of killing his crew, he is detained, drugged and taken to Dante 01, a rather ominous looking space station. The vessel is orbiting a stormy planet of molten fire and provides a secluded and sterile environment for doctors to experiment on the criminally insane. Trapped and expendable, the inmates make for ideal guinea pigs.
Soon, Saint George wakes up and meets his fellow inmates, led by Cesar
(Dominique Pinon, Delicatessen). The prisoners are a colorful cast of lunatics and murderers now lost to the human race. The next day, the doctors begin experimenting with DNA isotopes that are intended to control the inmates' behavior. But, when Saint George begins exhibiting superhuman, almost alien, powers, they all begin to wonder: is he a messenger of God or is he becoming something inhuman?
I was so impressed with the special effects in Dante 01; truly, they make the film a visual masterpiece. (I was reminded of films like Sunshine and Solaris) The characters are all perfectly cast and, thanks to Director Caro, the viewer really experiences the bleak environment of the space station and its air of hopelessness.
Now, having said all of that, the ending leaves a whole bunch to be desired. I had read that Director Caro had run out of funding late in the film's shooting, so he was forced to change the ending. Well, let me tell you, it shows! Packed with religiously symbolic overtones, the ending feels as if it were from a different movie altogether. Just at the climax of the story, you are blasted with a dizzying array of special effects that leave you with the feeling that you have missed something. This is unfortunate, because, up until then, it's a fabulous film.
Though the ending is a little off, Dante 01 still makes for a great rental.
Overall Rating: 3
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 18 August 2009 17:57 )
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