Soul Searcher (2005)

Overrated and overhyped

Boring

A lot of fun.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

the first time I tried to watch this I got bored and switched it off! I gave it another shot and it does get better towards the end and looks impressive, just a shame the dialogue/story is so poor. What was achieved with the low budget is actually quite impressive visually, apart from a few dodgy effects. I think what this film would've benefited from is a stronger script.One thing I can praise is the effort gone into the DVD extra's. I found the extra documentary, film school masterclass more entertaining than the film itself!.

I found myself amazed at what Neil Oseman managed to squeeze from his tiny budget with Soul Searcher. It's a shame that critics and the industry in this country didn't leap on it with enthusiasm in the same way that the American's did with El Mariachi because it's just as big an achievement.As for entertainment value, I was expecting something incredibly badly acted from what I've read. This just isn't the case, the acting is competent, the cgi effects are of the lower end but for me this did not remove me from the experience. In fact on many occasions I thought. "Wow, how the hell did they do that and how ambitious where they for even trying it in the first place!" And the work with miniature's is amazing. The train sequence is simply brilliant.I think for any film students, filmmakers, or anyone getting into film-making this is an absolute must. However for the casual viewer this also comes recommended. It's a fun, effects laden low budget adventure with a lot of charm.

I only recently saw this film and was moved, as a film-maker myself to post a comment here on its' merits. Apparently made over three years on a budget of £26,000 the result is an outstanding example of sheer effort against all the odds. The technical results need no apology from anyone. The sheer guts and bravado of its' makers, all of them, most of all the Director Neil Oseman, (watch "The Making Of" on the DVD), deserve all the kudos they have coming to them. Notable also is score composer Scott Benzie's wonderfully realised, talented, and integrated orchestral music. You'll learn also that Mr Benzie conducted the 56 piece orchestra and recorded all the music cues in one day. I wonder also if Ray Harryhausen has seen this film. Impressed he would be of the efforts here. Ray him self was no stranger to "hand-made" film-making at the outset of his career and for his first two or three features certainly. This team deserve as real crack with a realistic budget, but, once they have recovered from the sheer bloody hard work of making this, I have no doubt Mr Oseman will do another movie. Finally, with all this "qualification", does it work as a movie. Yes, it does. Hats off, guys. Well done from me. Anyone out there who thinks they can make a better movie, in the round, than this, on the same budget and resources...have a go. You're in for a shock that will change your life. I remember reading the comment of another film-maker who had made a much less ambitious movie than this on roughly the same resources. He said, "I got it finished, but I have'nt been the same person since".

If it was not for the visual effect I would have voted 10 instead of 8, I loved the story and the actors did very well, I predict a great future for Oseman, I'm pretty darn sure this guy will become one of the best directors out there..the Acting was good, the story was good , the few things I didn't like about this movie, was the fighting choreography, and the special effect but what can you expect with a 30.000$ budget..I'm all a very pleasurable movie, worth watching.. if you can look away from the fight scenes and the special effect.. this movie is a winner..I wish I could afford to give Oseman a 3.000.000$ budget instead and ask for a remake..as long as he used the same actors