Ink (2009)

[Andy Lambert]

Ink's plot is an intriguing, enigmatic mixture of Snow White, Alice In Wonderland and A Christmas Carol. We're introduced to John (Chris Kelly) a wealthy businessman who's addicted to drink, drugs and making huge sums of money, to the exclusion of his wife and young daughter, Emma.
Against this backdrop, an unseen war plays out between the angelic Storytellers, who bring us pleasant dreams while we sleep, and the evil Incubi, who terrorise us with nightmares. It's a battle that has gone on for eternity, it seems, while the rest of us have all been tucked up in bed. Then, one night, a grotesque, gargoyle-like figure named Ink arrives at the foot of Emma's bed, and in spite of the Storytellers' fighting skills, manages to spirit her away to another plane of reality.
                                                                    Den Of Geek

I LOVE this film. 100%.

There's a good chance you've never heard of Ink, but it's hidden gem well worth seeking out.

Ink is a low budget independent film, and while it's low budget shows, it still manages to look stunning. It was written, produced, directed and scored by Jamin Winans, who had tried to interest Hollywood film companies with his movie, but no-one was interested so Jamin made it himself with just $250.000.
Despite a very limited US release, Ink won the Best International Feature award at the Cancun Film Festival and it eventually found an audience through peer-to-peer torrents, which while obviously illegal, gained a positive reaction by word-of-mouth through those downloads (500,000 in a week in the year of it's release), helping to boost DVD and Blu-ray sales.

It's kind of a dark fairytale in a Terry Gilliam style, and you may sit through the first half of the film in confusion as the story isn't told in a linear fashion and John's real world story seems disconnected from the fantasy world of Ink, but the two do come together and you are rewarded with an intricate, fascinating tale that is surprisingly emotional, aided by Jamin's beautiful music score.

If Ink's story was told in a comic book style, it would sit comfortably in the pages of 2000ad.
I simply can't sing Ink's praises highly enough, and I think the film's meagre budget works in it's favour, as it tells a good story inventively and imaginatively, more so than many big budget Hollywood films have ever managed.

If you've never heard or seen Ink, look for it on Netflix or Lovefilm and treat yourself. Like I said, some of you will probably struggle with it, but I'm confident many of you will really enjoy it. Check out any reviews, the majority of them are extremely positive.
If you've already seen Ink before, I'd love to hear what you thought of it...

Ink Trailer 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBGeErufQdY

Ink Trailer 2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4C5I1SavGyA

[Andy Lambert]

Honestly - it's good! Check it out..!