Devils + Angels

Over three years had past since Jon Barton’s last release (Liquid Sunshine) when he released Devils + Angels. He may not be the most productive directors out there, but whenever he releases something, you know you are in for something special. With Devils + Angels, Barton has created a mature movie for a mature audience, meaning that I am not sure if I am qualified to review this. However, I am going to give it a try.

Two men meet for the first time in a very long time to discuss a great war down on Earth. We soon learn that this is a meeting between Lucifer and God, and that this is just not a discussion about humanity, but also their very own existence. Brilliantly written by Barton himself, Devils + Angels is not afraid to touch philosophical questions, but rather than giving us an answer, Barton leaves the viewers thinking for themselves. You may have to watch it more than once, but it is also a movie that holds up to repeated viewings, as you constantly discover new things that may open for new interpretations. Honestly, how many 3DMM movies can you say that about?

Translating a story of this kind into 3DMM is a risky decision, opening for a lot of challenges to overcome, number one being the cartoonish look. Barton manages the transition wonderfully, creating a very distinctive look for the film. There are several scenes here that really made an impact, with the live documentary footage being an obvious choice. The final sequence is probably one of my favorites ever. I have heard a lot of people complain about the use of Andres De La Hoz’s character models, making me believe I am the only one who thought they worked really well. Granted, they are pretty limited in their actions, but what is there went along well with the dialogue, I think.

As a movie that relies heavily on its dialogue, the importance of having good voice actors become all the greater, something Barton has clearly taken into account. Starring the always excellent Matt Burkett (Z-Man) and an almost unrecognizable Jay Cagatay (better known as Jaymond), there is very little to object to as far as acting goes. There were, however, a couple of things that bothered me, number one being the volume differences between the two. I also had a hard time understanding what they were saying at times, but I don’t know if I should blame the movie or my own English skills for that.

Sadly overlooked, Devils + Angels was quite possibly the most interesting film to come out in 2007. Barton has without a doubt grown as a director since the days of the Erotica Island trailers (though, in all fairness, that was a very long time ago). I would even go as far as saying that this is probably his best film to date. One can only hope that, in time, more people will respond to this and give it the recognition it deserves.

9/10

Originally posted on www.3dmmspotlight.tk

[Jon Barton]

I need to stop making films that need repeat viewings to understand them.

Thanks for the review, and duly noted - I really wanted more of a reaction to this when it came out. However, that gave me drive to make another new release, so it's probably a good thing.