Aquarium
Review by Peter Syslo

AQUARIUM (2002 France ) is another recent DVD offering from the folks at Salvation Films/Redemption USA/Ryko Distribution (www.salvation-films.com). This movie was thought provoking and somewhat different, but it didn’t strike me as much as NATURE MORTE. AQUARIUM is a fine film but, the foundation for it has been done many times before (at least in the USA ) and at this point, in American cinema, it has become a tired concept. That foundation is the underlying commonality of the SAW films, the CUBE movies and anything else that has a, “we woke u p in this room and don’t know why we are here” motif to it. Those franchises have done well with that motif, but after too many clones it has become an “ordinary” idea. That being said, AQUARIUM is still enjoyable and I do believe that it provides a degree of suspense that many films in this genre sometimes lack.

AQUARIUM is directed by Frederic Grousset and it stars Sophie Talon, Michel Robin, Karen Bruere, Capucine Mandeau, Abel Divol, Julien Masdoua, and Pierre-Luc Scotto.

The film is about a group of six strangers who wake up in a white room, with no apparent exit. They wonder about how and why they got there and after noticing a camera, speaker system, and video monitor they discover that they are not alone. As the DVD synopsis describes, a “Big Brother” presence is monitoring the six strangers and, like the BB show, the presence lays down some harsh house rules. After realizing that they are fighting for their lives, the six strangers display some interesting, unpredictable behavior and things keep escalating, until the surprising climax.

AQUARIUM, although derivative, was an interesting watch. The pacing tended to be a bit slow in the beginning, but I actually didn’t mind that after awhile. It created suspense, effectively, and that it is something that American films simply don’t do, at times. It was nice to submerse myself in a film without feeling that I was “shoved” through the whole thing (because film studios apparently think that everyone in an audience has attention-deficit disorder and needs one scene per minute). However, the positive thing that I feel could have been taken from American cinema was some exciting punctuation – not necessarily gore, but a little something to “amp” it up a bit. Aside from the basis for the film, the lack of shock or “jolt” seemed to lessen the effect of the picture (a gunshot to the head was the bloodiest scene). Now, I don’t need gore to enjoy a horror film, but at times AQUARIUM was a little too sterile or too pale. I feel that it needed a few more splashes of color to heighten the tension and foster a real sense of danger, especially since it is a film that takes place in a single, white room. That is the only real drawback to the movie - it needed to deliver a little more action, blood, etc. to keep the momentum going. The pacing was fine, but it needed sharper punctuation to give it more “punch” or “bang for your buck”.

While, I can’t go into great deal about the ending, I could say that it was definitely unique. It was a decent payoff for the film and it did have that confusing, mysterious nature to it. Another positive thing about the movie was that it was good to see people, in this situation, act differently than the American archetypes. In the equivalent American films, you have: the strong, slightly dangerous a*#hole; the wise-cracker; the formerly-damaged-but-now-empowered girl; the intellectual/geeky guy; and the calm, centered heroine (just to name a few). However, in this French film, those archetypes were not really present and it was refreshing. For example, one person was a television reporter/personality and I was so happy because he didn’t say, “alright people, I have to find a way out because I’m on air at 11!”. It was nice to devia te from the American form and I actually feel that this cast portrayed people in that scenario, in a more realistic way.

Cutting to the chase: I liked AQUARIUM, but I was not “blown away” by it. It was a refreshing take on some standard material, but I do feel that it needed a little more energy or “bite” to drive home its message. I do like the director’s style and this DVD does include two of his short films, which are definitely an experience. Actually, his short film EMERGENCY STOP was something that AQUARIUM should have been more like – it was a better balance of all of the elements of a horror film. In conclusion, if you like the CUBE films, the SAW movies, or if you enjoy dramatic psychological thrillers, then you might enjoy film - it is worth viewing for the director’s approach to this genre of horror.