Euphonia (2013) Reviews

• If you go with it you'll find an engaging construct which warns of technology – but you do have to go with it (suggestive spoilers)

  bob the moo2014-03-31

  Euphoria is a strange film for many reasons and generally it seems to have absolutely no issues in doing what it wants to do and to hell with the lot of you. To start the length pitches it into a no-man's land where it is not a feature film but, at 50+ minutes long, it really doesn't fit into the world of the short film where most viewers would be put off by such a length. This is a minor thing though because the bigger issue is the way the film delivers. The plot summary is unfairly boiled down to "man uses technology and gets an enhanced appreciation of life around him but ultimately the technology starts to overwhelm as his way of accessing life"; this is essentially what is happening here but it sounds so very pat and unhelpful to put it this way. The way the film puts it is to have the unnamed character develop a passion for sound and noise, to the point where he starts to record the noises of life all around him. Unfortunately the role of the recorder goes from being a tool to being a conduit and ultimately possible barrier to connecting to life any other way. In terms of delivering this message, the film is certainly longer than it needs to be but I did appreciate how open it left the story – while the point is there, it isn't hammering it home and it felt more responsible the way it left it at the end. Outside of this idea, the rest of the film needs you to go with it and whether you are bored by it or not will depend very heavily on this. For me I went with it but must admit that losing 10-15 minutes wouldn't haven't killed the film. Basically though, the whole thing here is the noise – it is the device used to show the connection with reality but for the viewer it also makes for a really good experience. The film looks pretty good but it is the sound that makes it – we hear most things as they were recorded and it is impressive that the filmmakers managed to do so much with the device. I had read that the film really only works if you make the most of the sound so instead of watching this via the laptop I took the effort to put it through the television and the amp. This did make the immersive nature of the sound much better – also at times made it a bit overwhelming, which is also the point. I read that the film was made for only $700 but I really struggle to believe that because the film looks and sounds as good as it does. Although there isn't a huge amount of dialogue, both Madden and Decotis give natural and convincing performances no matter the context or events of the scene. It is too long but if you really get into the sound side and go with the character on his journey then this is not so noticeable. It is not as perfect as you'll hear but it is an interesting and very well made film that is worth a try even if it doesn't do a great deal to reach out to the casual viewer.