Rasmussen

VIFF 2025 Review: The Plague

Jon The Blogcentric1 Comment
Thirteen year-old Ben, played by Everett Blunck, is preoccupied by an odd teammate’s skin condition in The Plague.

A film like The Plague is one of those films that sounds ideal to watch on a Saturday night at the Rio. Let’s just say it delivers on the crazy stuff you’d expect from a film in the Altered States series, and more.

It’s 2003 and Ben is a 13-year old boy at a water polo camp for 12-13 year old boys from across the nation. They spend time training in the school pool coached by a coach nicknamed ‘Daddy Wags’ and sleeping in the same lodge. The boys all have the best and worst attributes of boys their age. They befriended one moment and taunted the next. Ben’s first encounter comes while talking to Jake who’s back for his second year. During dinner, Jake notices Ben’s speech impediment when he says ‘s’op’ instead of ‘stop.’ Ben soon gets the nickname ‘Soppy.’

Despite being called ‘Soppy,’ Ben is still one of the boys. They tease and they are teased back. Ben and the boys talk of the girls they fantasize over. Ben notices that Eli is the boy most singled out. Eli showers alone, changes alone, and eats alone. When it’s dinner on the first day at camp, the boys leave whatever table Eli sits at. Ben wonders why. The boys say it’s because Eli has ‘the plague.’ Eli has a noticeable rash on his arm and wears a long-sleeved shirt while training while the other boys wear simple trunks.

Ben doesn’t buy this talk of ‘the plague’ or its alleged contagion from the other boys. Ben dares to befriend Eli despite what the other boys say. Ben does notice a lot of ‘weird talk’ from Eli and it gets him thinking about him. Other incidents that get Ben thinking is when the boys have fun vandalizing an alley one night. One of the boys plays music and they all dance, but Eli does a super-bizarre dance to music that includes dancing with a poster of a cartoon character he calls ‘Boopie.’ Another time, Eli’s finger looks like it’s cut of, but it grows back in front of Ben. Ben is starting to get nervous about Eli.

Things soon get more heated. The water polo camp shares a pool with the 12-13 artistic swimming camp. The girls to their training after the boys are finished and all the boys are attracted to the girls. Including Ben being attracted to one swimmer with braces. One day, as the girls are warming up at the other end, Eli’s hormones let loose (to put it politely) and they all taunt Eli. Daddy Wags disciplines the boys about people’s feelings. Jake is the one that still gives a jerk attitude to the coach and doesn’t regret the teasing. Soon the boys start suspecting Ben has ‘the plague’ because of the time he spends with Eli and they notice a similar rash on him as Eli’s rash is growing.

Ben tries to run away from the camp and even calls his mother from a diner’s pay phone to try and pick him up. Daddy Wags finds him at the diner. They have a dinner together and Wags tells him about the teasing he endured when he was Ben’s age. Upon returning, Ben tries to make peace with Jake but Jake reveals to Ben that his mother died.

Very soon, the rash on Ben grows and that prompts more rumors from the boys. Especially from Jake. In a training scrimmage, Jake is mad Ben wasn’t fouled while he was. He starts a fistfight with Ben and that becomes the end of it. Jake is expelled from the camp. Despite Jake being gone, it’s clear from the looks of the other boys the torment won’t be over.

As the camps for both water sports end, Daddy Wags is holding an end-of-camp dance where the water polo boys can finally dance with the artistic swimming girls. Finally, Ben will have a chance with the girl he’s been interested since the start. At the dance, there’s not much dancing but they notice Eli doing his ‘freak dance’ from days ago. It’s when Eli again dances with the Boopie poster that Ben has had enough and has to give Eli a talk. Ben just let’s it out on Eli that his behavior will get him continuous ostracism. It gets so heated, Ben tears the Boopie poster. What happens after, I won’t give away the ending. I will say that what happens to Eli and Ben will convince you that ‘the plague’ is real!

Bizarre supernatural thrillers like these usually have some theme that’s a common reflection of daily life. This is a case of boys on the verge of puberty. I don’t miss being a 12- or 13- year old boy either. I was the mocked at times and the mocker other times. Acting like a jerk, talking tough, lewd talk, being mean to look like a big shot, I don’t miss being a young mouthy jerk. This film does make the nastiness of the middle school years it’s common theme. I’m sure those that watch this film, especially adult males, will remember the insecurities they themselves faced when they were that young. Looking back, it’s kind of understanding why it would make the ideal theme for a scenario as bizarre as this plague. A bizarre thing happening to one at the most vulnerable time in a person’s life..

Here we have a water polo camp for boys sharing a poll with the girls of the artistic swimming camp. Both camps have the same age ranges. At the end of the camp, there’s a farewell dance where the boys and girls can finally dance together. As for the story being a thriller, the toxic masculinity of middle school boys adds to the drama of this story. Does Eli really have a ‘plague’ that’s contagious? Or are the boys just being mean? You’re left to question. The drama gets even bigger when Ben gets the same rash. Is it really ‘the plague’ they’re talking about? What will happen to Ben? Will he be able to dance with the girl he fantasizes over? Or will he end up acting like a freak like Eli? Add that in to the story of the difficulties of being 12 or 13 and other boys being big shots. It does make one curious of how this story will end for either of them.

Mind you this story isn’t just showcasing the nastiness of middle school boys. It also showcases the fun with the recklessness of getting into mischief. It showcases the feelings of love and attractions to girls at that age. The desire to meet with the girl of Ben’s curiosity will remind you of the innocence of those days. Mix that in with the camera angles and the slow-motion filming as well as the mix of hit songs and original score, it gives a fun boost to the drama of the story.

This film is a great first feature-length film from writer/director Charlie Polinger. Based on his summer camp experience in 2003 when he was 12 and kept journals over, Polinger does a good job in mixing in the story of the anxiety of being a misfit among a group of 12-13 boys while fearing getting the ultimate in ostracism from the possible contagion. The characters of the boys will remind you of some middle school-aged boys you may have encountered in your own life. He does a very good job of showing the ugliness of boys being big shots at other boys’ expense while reminding us this is a thriller about something supernatural. It’s a story that’s mixed with scripted dialogue and improvisation. The addition of subtitles that are not always there and leaves some things out is an odd but unique addition to the story. A great achievement!

Holding the film together is the performance of young Everett Blunck. He handles a role involving a lot of young insecurities well and makes a story about something both bizarre and frightening compelling to watch. Joel Edgerton plays it low-key as the coach Daddy Wags. In playing the coach trying to guide the boys and keep order, he keeps it low but makes for a believable coach hiding his own insecurities.

The biggest scene-stealer of the film has to be Kayo Martin. His performance as Jake will remind you of the middle school boy that seems to be the stand-out of jerks or the ‘king jerk’ of all of them. We all have memories of that boy! At the same time, he is sympathetic. We all remember how middle school boys are bad at dealing with their feelings. It may explain why Jake acts like a jerk. Maybe Jake doesn’t know how to deal with the death of his mother. Kayo is very convincing. Kenny Rasmussen also stole scenes as Eli. He’s both sympathetic and frightening at the same time. You don’t know if he is the ‘odd boy’ (another middle-school boy type we have memories of) or if ‘the plague’ is the real thing. Despite being singled out as a freak, he will make you feel for him at the same time too. The cinematography from Steven Breckon mixes the fun, cruel and frightening environments very well and the mix of hit music and original composition from Johan Lenox helps with the film’s shifting moods from start to finish.

It’s interesting to note this film has won awards at film festivals. The film was nominated for Un Certain Regard at Cannes as well as Charlie Polinger nominated for the Golden Camera award. At the Deauville Film Fest, the film won two awards: for the Critics Prize and the Grand Special Prize. At the Calgary Film Festival, it won for Best International Feature in the narrative category.

The Plague will remind you of the ugly days of middle school and how you tried to prove you were all that or were mean to others. It also makes for a bizarre and intriguing thriller about something that turns out to be more than just a skin condition in the end.

VIFF 2021 Review: Flee

Jon The BlogcentricLeave a comment
Flee is an animated documentary of Amin: an Afghani refugee living in Denmark who always felt he had to hide his true past from everyone. Including the man he loves.

Flee was the first time I was able to see an animated film at the VIFF this year. It isn’t just an animated film. It’s part-story, part-documentary that tells a lot about a remarkable story.

The story begins with a man named Amin. He tells the story of his life and his ordeal. He tells it in fluent Danish. He first tells of his story of how he had to flee as his whole family had been killed off. This is a story he also tells his boyfriend Kasper. This is on the verge of Kasper about to buy a house for him and Amin. Meanwhile Amin is undecided whether to accept living with Kasper or accept a teaching job at a university.

The interviewer then takes Amin to a private place. There, Amin can tell the true story. It starts when he reflects of his childhood in Kabul. His biggest memories are of being four in the mid-1980’s and running down the streets with a Walkman with pink earphones in his hand and wearing a dress! However the harsh realities hit Amin and his family in 1989 when Amin turns eight. The Mujahideen have taken over Afghanistan, just two years after the Soviets withdrew from the nation. Their father has been captured and they don’t know what happened to them. Fearing they’ll be next, Amin, his mother, two sisters and brother seek refuge on a plane. The plane takes them in Moscow as the USSR is one of few countries willing to take the family in because of their status.

Life is not very good for the family in Moscow. Even after the fall of communism, they can only do limited work, live in a cramped flat and constantly be harassed by corrupt policeman who heckle them for being different. They know they will have to flee to another country if they are ever able to be free for once. However their only hope depends on human traffickers. They all want to flee to Sweden. The eldest brother is the only one who can work. It is he who will have to provide the money for these trips.

The first trip, which involved being in a car failed and they found themselves back in Moscow. The second trip involved the whole family travelling at once. This involved a long walk through the woods with others right in the coldness of winter. It then led them all to a fishing vessel where they had to hide themselves in the fish trap. The feel of the boat trip was nerve-wracking with the water splashing. Then water started coming in, which involved the passengers coming out of the trap to get the water out. Fortunately a cruise ship discovers the boat. Unfortunately, the cruise ship calls Estonian police to rescue the passengers. That meant back to Moscow.

The long wait is frustrating. The mother is getting older, the siblings including Amin himself are growing and missing out a lot on their future, and the oldest brother is having the frustration of his future being squandered to saving up for these illegal immigration stings. It’s frustrating, but they can’t go on watching Mexican soap operas and being harassed by Moscow police forever. Finally the brother finds a new illegal immigration operation. It’s way more expensive than the ones in the past, but this has excellent chances of working. However this involves each of the family members to go alone.

Amin is to go with one other teen male. The agent gives both boys strict instructions to obey. The trip starts with both of them being inside a van and lying down. During the trip, Amin senses a feeling he has toward the other male. The male gives him his gold chain. Before they board the plane, the agent gives the two plane tickets and passports: Amin for Denmark and the other boy for Switzerland. They all go on a flight to Istanbul. As the flight lands, the agent advises the two to do everything he instructs them to do and once they arrive in their country of destination to tear up the passport and tell officials their story. After the agent leaves, the two depart but not without one final goodbye.

Hours later, Amin arrives in Copenhagen, tears up the passport, and tells his story of being a completely orphaned Afghani refugee. As he’s transported to safety, he looks out the window of the car and sees freedom, but can’t feel it or sense it. He spent years living in a shelter living with various families and pursuing excellent grades in school. Then one day, he receives a phone call. It’s his brother in Sweden. Amin learns his brother found refuge in Sweden from his own trip from the trafficker.

Time would improve for Amin. Soon he’d learn all of his family including his mother had found refuge in various places in Europe with his two sisters also living in Sweden. His life has improved as he has been able to become a strong academic and even had lecturing jobs at American colleges. However he’s still had to keep his true life a secret from his boyfriend and his homosexuality a secret from his family as Afghani culture considers homosexuality to bring shame to the family. One day, when the brother and sisters get into conversation about Amin not being married, he then outs himself to the shock of all. The brother then tells Amin to get into the car. Amin is uncertain and fearful about what will happen next during the car ride. The brother takes him to a gay bar and hands him some money. They knew all along! Inside the gay bar, Amin discovers a freedom he never thought possible. The film then flashes forward two years later showing how Amin’s life has improved.

This is definitely a story about a current hot topic: refugees and illegal immigrants. It’s constantly an issue. As long as there’s political oppression and corruption, there are going to be people fleeing. Refugees and illegal immigrants probably feel they have something to hide about themselves. Even if they become legit citizens of their country, they feel they still have something to hide and they have to lie for their freedom. Roughly they’re still mentally ‘on the run.’ Even the fact that the subject has to tell his whole truth under the pseudonym Amin Nawabi adds to this factor. It becomes evident when Amin first tells the interviewer of his story of his family deceased. Then when he’s in a private room, he tells the truth. It’s also evident how he’s unsure whether to commit to marrying his boyfriend Kasper and instead accept an offer at an American university.

Amin’s story is definitely a story of intrigue. This is a story of a man who pretty much feels he has his ‘life on the run.’ He had to flee his home of Afghanistan with his family and first settle in Russia, only for all to find another nation to live in. This is a case of three attempts and the frustration of wondering if you’ll ever be free. This is about feeling that you have to hide the truth of yourself even though you’re now living in a free country. This is about even hiding a truth about yourself that is forbidden and seen as shame in your home country. I think that’s the point of the story. About hiding things. It starts off as a case that Amin has a lot to hide. However over time, he opens up. Hidden truths about himself no longer become a taboo. It’s a case as we see the story unravel over time just as we get to the part where he outs himself to his siblings.

This is a story of from a life of refuge to a newly discovered freedom. When you look at it, Amin’s freedom in Denmark is the best thing to happen to him. We all see he had to deal with life in Russia along with his siblings. Even without attempts to immigrate, Russia was no place for them. Not as they were constantly being harassed. Afghanistan was no place for them either as their father may had been killed and they would be in pursuit. It’s especially no place for Amin as his sexuality was obvious at a young age. If he had not fled from Afghanistan in his lifetime, he could have been executed for his homosexuality. That really gets you thinking. Especially when we recently heard about the return of the Taliban to power. It’s something how Amin is born in a country with the harshest attitude towards homosexuality and finds himself in one of the first countries to legalize same-sex marriage!

I give top accolades to writer/director Jonas Poher Rasmussen. He’s done films about people’s struggle with homosexuality before. The story does a very good job as it goes from the interview to the re-enactments of Amin’s past. From running down the streets listening to Take On Me to the family forgetting their problems as they watch Mexican soap operas, it does a good job of telling the story while mixing other elements in the background. The images do a great job in capturing the drama of the time. The voice acting was also very good. The animation from Sun Creature Studio did an excellent job of depicting the story in both the present and the past. The addition of the music of the times and of the Mexican soap operas also add to the story.

Flee is a great animated film about a man who feels like he has always had to be on the run. On the run from danger, on the run from authorities, on the run to achieve freedom, and on the run from how he was meant to live and who to love. It’s an eye-opener and a delight to see at the same time.