Article by Chris Rennirt
Unsaid, the latest film from Nameless Studios and director/writer/producer Jennifer Linch reverberates its message without a word spoken, delivering an efficient, high-decibel impact, all the more powerful with silence. Figurative metaphors and memorable imagery are combined with dynamic fight scenes, telling a poignant, tragic story of love, revenge, and impulsive justice. Using only sound effects, poetic imagery, outstanding choreography, and a music score in perfect step with the plot, the movie’s suspenseful tone is achieved with masterful success.
The story begins with a wandering man’s view of his body and bloodied hands, as he walks (or somewhat staggers) with a knife. Where is he walking and why is he bloody? We don’t know yet. Cut to a beautiful morning and a sleeping beauty to match – Jennifer Linch. A tray has been brought to her bed by what must be her lover, as she awakens with a smile. Yes! This is a couple truly in love, and everything we see proves it. What happens next, however, darkens the bright sunlit scenes of joy and happiness; thus, Unsaid‘s revenge-filled, action-packed plot is set in motion, all the more impactful without words. An opening juxtaposition of a dark, foreboding (and bloody) evening with a bright, sunlit morning (and a beauty) provides the perfect dose of dread, setting a tone of suspense from the start. From there, the buildup is relentlessly effective.
Jennifer awakens to the soft caresses of her lover’s hand, happy as ever before the horror to follow.
Speaking of things unspoken, it is exactly that about the film that makes it all the more “impactful.” Without words and dialogue, viewers are able to focus more on the awesome action scenes served up in bountiful amounts, as well as on other, more subtle elements of the movie’s visual palette and poetic content. Throughout the film, I found myself noticing (and appreciating) small yet important morsels I might have missed otherwise. Yes! Silent films provide exactly that opportunity, and Unsaid reminded me often. Exactly what are the subtle morsels? Of course, a proper review doesn’t reveal everything!
A kiss on the hand and a happy girl in love precede unexpected loss in Unsaid.
Unsaid is what I would describe as an objective point-of-view film, even though the terms can seem contradictory. Viewers witness events in the story, seemingly (at least at first), from the perspective of a hand-held camera, but overall from what seems the main character’s perspective, through his own eyes (rather than through the lens of a camera), and later from perhaps the mind’s eye. Here, the eyes are the camera, the footage is found only in the mind of the character, and we, the viewers, are privy to it all. This approach is refreshing, effective, and smart, since a found-footage camera perspective would not work in the film. What is used instead works perfectly.
Yes! The details of this scene are better left “Unsaid.”
As a treat for viewers, director Jennifer Linch doubles as one of the many unfortunate adversaries of the main character (Nick Martinez). Linch, having most distinguished and well-known skills in martial arts, leaves nothing to viewer imagination in her cameo fight scene, as a knife-wielding assassin/femme fatale – with blond hair no less! Yes, indeed! A joy it is for sure to see Jennifer kicking butt (incognito here like never before), to the extent that her role allows. Each time I see Jennifer in a new fight scene, I find myself saying, “It’s the best I’ve ever seen! She’s outdone herself again!” This time, I’m saying it again! Yes! Awesome and beautiful as always, Jennifer does it again!
As for fight scenes in general, they are abundant and relentlessly engaging. Once things get going, viewers are treated to a non-stop series of jaw-dropping action, leaving us about as speechless as the movie itself. Edits in every scene are tight and fast, yet easily followed even in the more limited human-eye perspective. Yes! It all flows as smoothly as water from one kick and slash to the next, from one scene to the next, never distracting the viewer with anything technical or confusing. In some movies with such action, I find myself scratching my head, saying “What just happened? Did I miss something?” Not here! Not even once! I saw it all!
A knife-wielding Jennifer Linch shows off her martial arts mastery in Unsaid
Adding to Unsaid‘s technical success is the intentional use an ultra-wide angle lens creating, in some scenes, a distorted dream-like effect, just right for what could be memories as much as the present. Shifting us to the main character’s final reality, in the end, is an objective, third-person perspective, bittersweet albeit poetically triumphant and transcending. It is this final scene (one involving a pair of baby shoes) that restores the story’s driving emotion, reconnecting viewers with its overarching humanness. A sad scene it certainly is, as well!
Clocking in at less than 15 minutes, Unsaid delivers its suspenseful story with efficiency and force, leaving everything unnecessary out, leaving everything else better imagined in the mind. A bittersweet tale of love, revenge and tragedy is neatly told, all the better with Linch’s trademark style, streamlined and lean. While it’s a movie with no words, Unsaid will leave viewers with much to say about it afterward (as it left me), far from speechless recommending it to others!
Nick Martinez, as the lover with a score to settle with his own way of doing it.
UNSAID, written and directed by Jennifer Linch, stars Jennifer Linch and Nick Martinez. It is edited by Terry Kelley, with an original score by Andrew Dyathon. Also included is director of photography Sean D McLean, costume designer Camille Wood, fight choreographer Donald Atchison, stunt coordinator Shane Alexander, executive producer Robert Brooke Eldridge and Camille Wood, production manager Joie SD, singer Melanie Jimenez, and stunt actors Greg Monce, Fadi Khadoor, Dmitri Diakov, Brian Cabrera, and Yesitsme Quan Vo. UNSAID is sponsored by Wang Ho Taekwondo (www.tatbratz.com) and Docskarate, with the movie poster created by SDM.
Check out more out-of-this world screenshots from Unsaid below!
The weapons of revenge are indeed very sharp…and just one is never enough!
Can we ever get enough of such a beautiful assassin? Absolutely not!
As I said, we can’t get enough of Jennifer. So, here she is again!
And again!
Jennifer Linch training for fight scenes and practicing choreography for Unsaid
Director Jennifer Linch, with actor Nick Martinez, behind the scenes
Jennifer Linch, as herself and as a martial arts assassin – just as beautiful either way!
Rocket Rating – 10
Chris Rennirt (the author of this review) is a movie critic and writer in Louisville, Kentucky, as well as editor in chief at Space Jockey Reviews. He has been a judge at many film festivals, including Macabre Faire Film Festival and Crimson Screen Film Fest, and he attends horror and sci-fi conventions often. Chris’ movie reviews, articles, and interviews are published regularly on Space Jockey Reviews and in Effective Magazine. His mission statement (describing his goals as a movie critic and philosophy for review writing) can be found on the “Mission” page, here at SJR. For more information about Chris Rennirt (including contact details, publicity photos, and more), click here.
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