Movie Review: SKILL.SI

Published on ESEA [unsure] in 2008 [unsure].

Name: SKILL.SI
Publisher: FlouChy
File Size: 280mb

This movie appears out of relatively nowhere and with the simple statement of “introducing Slovenian CS players”. It doesn’t contain the big star-studded names of other CS movies or a famous creator/director so the fact it has made it to the CS Cinema feature should suggest it has merits worth investigating, so let’s begin.

Technical ability:
While the name FlouChy is unlikely to ring any bells for you it is clear upon viewing this effort that the man has put a lot of time and effort into mastering a variety of moviemaking techniques and concepts. This is one of the most slickly edited pieces I’ve seen in quite some time and the way everything from the recurring use of icons to the cuts to the synching ties together is really satisfying in its end result. This isn’t just a bunch of CS frags set to some music and with a couple of effects added as an afterthought, this is a complete package on all fronts. The wide variety of different effects which were employed and yet which I liked is worth noting of itself since few movies can go heavily into the effect side of things before I find myself irritated or enjoying the movie less than I could be. The technical aspects of this movie do the job those kinds of things should do which is elevate the movie and pick up the slack in areas where other aspects are lulling to some extent. In the moments where the frags might not be as great as others you’ll rarely be paying too much attention because it is so slickly edited and to fit the music that you just take it for granted as part of the movie and your attend is held to see what is coming next, that is a marked success when it comes to moviemaking.

The synching is especially well done and at times one wonders to what extent the frags were picked to fit the music or the music picked to fit the frags, there is a level of integration which doesn’t leave one feeling as though the synching is a gimmick or the creator trying to show off.

Visual content:
Despite being a movie without big names and featuring players from Slovenia the frag front is not a weak point of the movie, in fact there are some quite pleasant surprises to be found for the viewer who takes the time out to view this piece. Firstly as far as the top end of the scale goes there are some frags which definitely rank up there are really nice sequences and at the opposite end there are some sequences which are just eco fragging. Luckily the eco fragging sequences are either spectacular enough in the way they are executed and so forgivable in the context or they are only in the one low point of the movie which lasts about a minute at most and is so easy to overlook when discussing the bigger picture. Aside from that minute which is in the latter third of the movie the rest is all very suited to the music: upbeat, fast action.

The editing does a lot to enamour us to the rest of the movie but standing on its own the frag section ranks as pretty damn decent, even more so for players who you aren’t expecting anything impressive from.

Audio content:
The music matches the action very well and despite changes of genre or song speed one never feels as though there is a real distinctive loss of theme, a real plus in the viewing experience. The choice of music for the short interlude is pretty much bang on the money and elicits exactly the reaction the creator was no doubt hoping for. Much like some of the effects, in worse movies some of the music could have annoyed but in this piece the overall effect of everything working together leaves one scarcely any time or inclination to complain about what comes off a niggling point. The variety is well employed so that even if you dislike one track you will most likely find one or two which are more to your tastes.

Overall:
This one really came out of nowhere for me but after watching it a few times it really comes together wonderfully. The editing stands out as some of the best I’ve seen in perhaps a couple of years overall and the other aspects of the movie integrate properly so that it is difficult to judge elements on their own due to the interplay you’ve experienced. If you have to see the usual superstar names making the kills then give this movie a pass, if you are interested to see a movie with a coherent overall theme, good frags and excellent editing then this is a movie you should by no means miss.

Rating: 3.5/5