The past few months brought to our attention many experimental films tackling various subjects. Some of them were good, some were unwatchable, but a few of them impressed us with the level of detail and attention given to being their very best, and we are happy to see that 'Pokémime' is among them. The pandemic took the whole experiment part in mysterious places, and the ending result was, most of the time, unappealing. That is why we are happy when a film like 'Pokémime' comes to take over the stage.

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The story focuses on three mimes playing poker on their terms. What does this mean? There are no cards, no poker faces, but the game's intensity remains as powerful as in a standard casino. What we appreciated in Marquise Jones' film is that it covers three spheres of artistic development. First of all, there is the stunning acting. We rarely get to see such a well-played part in an experimental film, and getting to see the full act-out from three actors that do their very best to make the movie stand out is nothing but praiseworthy. The whole narrative comes in waves of action and reaction, and we loved it to the very end. Secondly, this film has a killer score that raised the stakes a little bit in a very particular way. Usually, when it comes to gambling, you may imagine a piece of more or less suspenseful music. Still, here, as the focus is more on the characters and less on their action, the score builds up with their interaction and with their development. Even though the characters speak no words, the soundtrack puts a voice on the painted faces. Thirdly, we loved how coherent the whole film is, with a story that goes from a to z without jumping any steps. We rarely get to see such hard work on the storyline in experimental films, and having this here is refreshing!

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'Pokémime' is a rising star you won't want to miss!

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Written by Vlad A. G.