Ekaterina Behor’s film, VOLATILITY reviewed by Lew Antonie

Jason Winn’s highly uncomfortable and unapologetic film parable, Volatility, packs a harsher punch than the leading man’s right hook.

Nicolas Myhre portrays a cage fighter who should not be one. A brief opening sequence showing his immediate knockout exemplifying that. What is did do is set in motion a long buried feeling of inadequacy within him. From here, Mehre plays the Mr. Hyde within him on to his his significant other, played with depth by Katie Kay.

Director Winn and Producers, Ekaterina Behor & Lancen Gm, displayed a clear understanding of this incendiary topic by facilitating this dark parable about abuse thanks to stark photography and editing by Brad Powers and Shaun Kahn and a clever production design by Albina Kim whose skill at creating the necessary claustrophobic environment was a hallmark. While the script seemed more synopsis than story, it was clever casting choices (a blonde fixation) and a sad ironic bit of dialogue at the end, make this a visual learning lesson.

Behor & Gm, in particular, should be praised for producing this cautionary tale. Lancen Gm should also be noted for composing music and sound effects enhancing the tension and harshness of the topic. Gm’s composition of strange music, reminiscent of horror films, seem to eminate from the psyche of the boxer, and having the same effect of Bernard Hermann’s show scene music from Psycho – a scream coming from inside one’s head.