Doll Syndrome: Written Review

Doll Syndrome

Written Review

Hi everyone and welcome to MyIndie Review Vlog, the show that gives you spoiler-free reviews of indie films. My name is Asaf Angel from MyIndie Productions.

Today I’ll be reviewing 2014’s, feature-length thriller Doll Syndrome, directed by MyIndie featured artist, highly acclaimed Italian extreme filmmaker Domiziano Cristopharo, and written by Andrea Cavaletto.

This will be the fifth of Domiziano’s films we review on the show, after having reviewed Red Krokodil, The Museum of Wonders and Xpiation in Season One of the show.

We also reviewed his debut feature film House of Flesh Mannequins, earlier in Season 2, and also an anthology he worked on 7 Sins, as well as films he produced, Torment and American Guinea Pig: Sacrifice. Thank you, Dom for continuing to share so much of your work with us.

A somewhat odd, fit young man, portrayed by Tiziano Cella, is seen going through his daily routine in his apartment and about town, moving and doing everyday tasks in a very slow and peculiar demeanor. He practices a variety of odd recurring rituals, with no apparent reason, and which are shown to us in full graphic detail. Not for the easily squeamish.

With a perpetual distant gaze in his eyes, the man wonders the streets, wearing a business suit, and carrying a backpack.

While roaming, his attention focuses on a beautiful young woman, played by Aurora Kostova, who he often stalks, and is apparently intrigued by, as he is seen obsessively staring at her.

Things change one day, when the man finds out that the woman of his interest is in a romantic relationship with another man. As much as the film did not shy away from graphic expression up to that point, it manages to go even further, to an even more extreme presentation. I can’t really give examples for fear of spoiling.

I found this film somewhat difficult to watch. Not so much for the graphic content, but mainly because of its rhythm and plot progression. The story itself is said to be predicated on true life events. The film even begins with a slideshow of some very graphic pictures that appear authentic, although I’d rather not go into detail as these need to be experienced along with the film.

As a thought-provoking artist, Domiziano tends to enrich his work with deep-meaning, almost entirely hidden in the visuals with very little or no dialogue. Doll Syndrome is a wonderful example for that. I believe it takes a very curious mind to absorb such a film, because on the surface, most of it makes little sense.

Only when we delve deeper, into what Domiziano is telling us in every shot and every character action, will we be able to absorb the film’s core message.

It feels our oddly-behaved man is lacking or has lost the ability to experience sensation, of any kind, and so his rituals seem to be designed to try and awaken whatever it is he is missing, with almost inhuman, restrained and precise performance from Cella.

Domiziano, who also was the Cinematographer here, gives us numerous beautifully constructed compositions, which correlate with the estranged tone we get from Tiziano’s Character. He seems out of place, yet goes unnoticed and so Domiziano puts him in frame at times, surrounded by normalcy in the city he lives in, to accentuate how foreign he is amongst other people.

Domiziano also uses a large number of extreme close-ups and focus alternations between elements in frame, which, apart from being very aesthetic, felt to correlate, with the way our character’s focus is targeted on some very specific elements that are important to him.

Music by Il Cristo Fluorescente and Jarman, specifically the film’s theme track, gave a beautiful balladic tone.

There is even some well-executed stop-motion expression in the film, done by MyIndie featured artist, talented Italian indie filmmaker Paolo Gaudio.

To sum-up: Much like Domiziano’s 2012’s apocalyptic horror feature Red Krokodil, this film is almost entirely led by what’s beneath the surface, and it does take a certain temperament and open-mindedness to fully understand it. Domiziano never ceases to impress, giving mind-challenging depictions by mainly using visual language and doing so beautifully.

Doll Syndrome gets an 8/10 on the Look At Me, I’m A Film Critic scale!
The film is distributed via Wild Eye Releasing and TetroVideo and is available through several outlets online, for physical purchase, links included. Bear in mind, it contains extremely graphic content, so viewer discretion is advised.

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Until next time, keep supporting indie film. Watch, share, spread the word, my name is Asaf Angel, I thank you for tuning in to MyIndie Review Vlog. I’ll see you next Thursday!