Hey gang, Valkor here. This next film review took a little backtracing
to fully realize exactly what it was I was going to settle into.
When asked to review the film Le Fear II: Le Sequel, I thought
maybe it was something that was not an actual sequel, but it was
all in the name. Turns out it really is a sequel and while the
first film was well received, will the second film carry the same
weight and be just as good? Spoilers ahead!
Le Fear II, shot documentary style (mockumentary), follows the exploits and downfall of Carlos (Kyrie Saphiris), a director of 22 films and the previous director of the disaster that was Le Fear is now back to direct its sequel: Le Fear II, but with one stipulation from his South African financier – he would have to put down 500k of his own money to start. And by doing so, he would get in return ten million. Reluctantly he complies and that decision begins Carlos's spiral towards destitution.
From the moment he arrives on “the set”, if that's what you wanna call it, everything that can go wrong does. His producer, Efie (Seye Adelekan), was supposed to have set up a huge hollywood-style sound stage, but they end up with a caravan trailer next to a busy street instead. The crew is fussy and so are the actors - one quits mid-way and is replaced by a Japanese woman, Lucy Lou (Aiko Horiuchi), who barely speaks any language (other than her native language and some English) that Carlos can work with. His makeup artist Queenie (Victoria Hopkins) wants sex from whomever, the woman who handles his special effects claims to have worked on Avatar but puts out the shoddiest, cheapest effects known to man – and she does it with the biggest smile as if she achieved something wonderful. And then there's the stripper/actress who plays the vampire, but refuses to do her own stunts and when she does, it’s wicked over the top. In short, this supposed “horror noir” is turning out to be a bigger disaster since the sinking Titanic.
But that’s the joke right? That’s what makes it funny and at the same time I get it because in college I used to take part in film shoots that simply didn’t go the way the director wanted it to – hell I was that director and I have the video to prove it (if I can ever get it transferred, I may have to slap it up on YouTube). I really felt bad for Carlos because nothing and I mean absolutely nothing goes his way. And just when there was a glimmer of hope, just one sparkle of promise, the entire thing just blows up in his face and there’s no recoup.
The Good:
Le Fear II: Le Sequel is a clever horror/comedy that may not have any scares, but the laughs are certainly there. But the true horror comes from the disaster in trying to make a film where nothing seems to go right. Some of the mishaps are truly off the wall and you can’t help but laugh. Yet at the same time you have to feel sorry for Carlos and all that he’s going through. And for that a huge plus goes to Kyrie, who is perfectly cast for the role – he has this pitiful meek look about him - a face that wants to do something spectacular but then his rage kicks in because of the situation and the whole package looks and feels so natural. Seye Adelekan also scores points as well as the shiesty Efie who is also the biggest reason why the film is such a disaster to begin with; the dude is fast talking and always “thinks” he has a way out, but everything fails and yet he shakes it off with a “no problem”. But who absolutely steals the show for me… and a piece of my heart is Victoria Hopkins aka Queenie who does a mighty fine job showcasing her sexual dominance and getting exactly what she wants from whomever. And she does gets what she wants… mmmmf! I’m gonna give a few points to Aiko Hirouchi (from The Grudge 3) aka Lucy Lou; her character is also very timid and just seems to go along with everything even though she doesn’t have a clue what’s going on. I was kinda hoping she’d explode in a tirade of Japanese expletives out of frustration of the situation and I'm hoping it'll happen in the next film… and there is a next film. But in the end, Le Fear II, it’s a solid effort with an exceptional story, great acting and bunch of laughs that won’t leave you in stitches, but you will ultimately get a kick out of it.
The Bad:
It’s a little frustrating seeing as how there’s nothing positive about what happens during the creation process of the film. I really wanted something “good” to come out of all that disaster. But there is still one more film…
The Ugly:
N/A
Whether you can appreciate an indie film or not - a lot of them aren’t always good but you can usually find a diamond in the rough if you look hard enough. And Le Fear II: Le Sequel is one of those diamonds worth checking out. It has quite a few laughs but also a solid story and great acting to boot. I highly recommend it when it sees some kind of release here in the states. And out of TOV 5 stars, I gotta give Le Fear II a solid 4.
