Eden Log

The basic plot line here revolves around the character of Tolbiac; he wakes up in a dark cave, disoriented and with absolutely no recollection of how he has got here. He makes his way through various tunnels, all the while trying to work out where he is and what this strange land is that he has woken up in. Everywhere Tolbiac goes the Eden Log logo is printed; what is Eden Log though? This is something that Tolbiac desperately wishes to discover.

As Tolbiac makes his way through the tunnel he never quite knows where to go; he's seeking to find where he is/why he is there, doesn't know where to go and who to ask however and has no idea as to how he may be able to make his way out of this series of tunnels. He's lost, confused, and just doesn't know what to do next - it's a hard time for Tolbiac as he trudges through the tunnels and looks for the answers to his many questions that he has to ask of Eden Log.

When I first watched this movie I really couldn't work out whether I liked it or hated it; it's one of those films that is visually stunning, but leaves you wondering if the actual content of the film was all just a waste of time. It seems really clever and you spend ages trying to work it all out, ultimately it all still seems very silly though. I did eventually decide that I really quite liked the film; I loved the visual nature of it, and any sci-fi film that can hold my interest for 98 minutes must be doing something right as generally I really don't enjoy science fiction films. The ending is poor and the beginning very slow; the mid-section is what makes this movie however and it is this aspect of the film which makes it so interesting.

Eden Log begins very blandly, it leaves you wondering whether or not to reach for the stop button, but if you choose not to cease viewing the film then what you'll actually discover here is that Eden Log is in actual fact absolutely excellent. The visual sheen of the film is stunning, the plot becomes irrelevant as you're taken in by the sheer beauty of it all and nothing else really matters. There is some plot here, not a lot of speech however and the visual flair of the film is therefore what drives it Franck Vestiel's directorial work is fascinating here, it is he who truly makes the movie come alive and it is his presence as director which allows this film to run so fluidly and flow so sublimely.

Clovis Cornillac as Tolbiac plays his part very well here; not much is asked of him vocally, his body language is required to do all the work and it does the job supremely strongly too. His facial expressions are excellent and his eyes also are supremely expressive here. He's not given much of a script so he makes the most of what he has; himself. He draws upon his own emotions, utilises his own expressions, makes sure that his body language tells us all we need to know and sticks to this strongly throughout the entirety of the film. This was another factor that swung it for me; he may not say much but he's still a fantastic actor. Any actor that can play a strong role even when unable to use his voice to any effect must be incredibly talented. Most would play this part poorly and we'd learn nothing from their body language, Clovis Cornillac however is one of the most talented visual actors I've ever had the pleasure of watching. He may even be a better actor by body language than he is with the spoken word; I can't be too sure, I've not seen him in anything else; he's definitely excellent here however and I fail to fault the performance that Clovis Cornillac puts across here.

So the visual sheen and quality of acting is what makes this movie; the lighting also plays a huge role in the power of this film though. Never underestimate the supreme power of lighting; it's all very dark here and this really helps add to the very dark mood of the movie. The locations all seem so real, you truly do believe that Tolbiac is working his way through a series of underground tunnels and this makes the movie all the more scary. It's a science fiction movie at heart, there are definite moments of horror here however and also fantastic elements of suspense. The suspense is always strong, the situation is horrific and the tone and lighting always portray this. The movie makes use of the handheld camera and this is another quality about Eden Log which adds to the realism of it all; the shakiness of the camera allows us to feel the tension of those involved, feel like we're really watching the action first hand rather than merely on movie tape. So many excellent qualities come together here; director Franck Vestiel has made a magnificent job of putting it all together and you really feel that a lot of time and effort has gone into the creating of this one. It must be said that the movie was worth the time and effort too as in most respects Eden Log is absolutely exceptional.

Were it not for the slow start and rather ridiculous ending then Eden Log would be an absolute masterpiece of a movie. Everything about it is so finely worked here, it all flows so well, and if only the beginning point and finishing point of the film could be improved then this would have edged Eden Log towards absolute perfection. Eden Log did leave me wondering whether or not I enjoyed it all; once I began to think about all the visual factors however it was then that it hit me how strong this movie truly is. It doesn't need much script to remain interesting, the visual beauty of it all is what carries the movie and the realism also makes Eden Log stand out as a truly exceptional movie.

Whether you're a fan of science fiction or not; Eden Log is a movie I'd most definitely recommend watching. I'm not generally much of a sci-fi fanatic; I sure enjoyed what I saw when it came to Eden Log however and for that reason would recommend it 100%. The fact this was Franck Vestiel's directorial debut makes it all the more incredible; he's done such a great job here, and with no previous experience too. Franck Vestiel has all the makings to become an absolutely legendary film director; whether or not his work will ever be truly appreciated in the manner it should be however we'll just have to wait and see.

My Honest World of Film Review Rating: 4 out of 5

First time feature film director Franck Vestiel here truly showed what he's made for when he put together the exquisitely fine feature film that is Eden Log. Who'd have thought a so-called novice would have such a knack for being a director; he clearly has a fond love of the film form and has used that love to his advantage here in order to put across a movie that is truly magnificent in almost every manner. He wrote the screenplay along with Pierre Bordage so we can accuse him of not being a great writer of opening and closing scenes; you could never accuse Franck Vestiel of being a bad director however and I actually believe him to be an absolutely exceptional director.

If Eden Log is what the man can do as a debut then the future looks to be incredibly bright for Franck Vestiel. He shows a lot of potential here and if he can create a few more movies of this sort of quality then he'll begin to make a real name for himself. Eden Log is destined to become a cult classic amongst fans of the genre; if Vestiel continues in the trade of science fiction movies then he can therefore build up quite a following and it'll then only be a matter of time before the man puts to film a worldwide box office success of a movie.

There's a place in Hollywood's Hall of Fame for Franck Vestiel, I'd love to see the man take pride of place in his deserved Hall of Fame spot to and if he can do so then this would most certainly be a thoroughly deserved feat. Expect a lot more of Franck Vestiel in the future; his directorial debut is simply stunning and I'm sure that there'll be plenty more where that came from too.