‘#EM3’ Review
Stars: Andres Dominguez, Belkys Galvez, David Lago, Oscar Torre, J. Bishop, Ky-Mani Marley, Benhur Sito Barrero, Anthony Bless | Written by Jokes Yanes, J. Bishop | Directed by Jokes Yanes
Set in Miami beach, #EM3 (or to give the film its full title, #EM3: Eenie Meanie Miney Moe) is drama which follows Raul (Andres Dominguez) a tow truck driver who works on the side as a car thief. Emptying cars that he picks up for anything of value, whether it be drugs, guns or money, Raul begins to set up a network to fence off his stolen good and make as much money as possible. However, a spanner is thrown in the works when he and his new neighbor Nikki (Belkys Galvez) spark a spur of the moment relationship causing him to make a decision with unexpected consequences for everyone around him.
#EM3 is a very stylised flick, director Jokes Yanes did a very good job of making this film look very pretty, using game-like themes to portray Raul’s criminal activities, making references to the game ‘Tetris’ and showing the methodical nature of Raul’s job. This, along with the stunning soundtrack constantly working throughout the film in the background, really enhances the experience of the film and helps push up the emotion during the more heartfelt and heart breaking scenes. Andres Dominguez also does an excellent job of portraying the lead of this story. His very realistic and down to earth style really helps to push the story on, even at times when the pace slows significantly, and although he is a criminal, it is very easy to empathise and feel for his character throughout the entire film.
That being said, the story does take a while to get going. A lot of the film does feel like filler just to set up the dramatic ending of the piece. Although the pay off twist is extremely well done, is a long time coming. There a lot of side stories in this film, each character in Raul’s network getting their own little moment in the spotlight, developing their characters more and seeing a bit of their personal lives. However, apart from the main Raul storyline, some of these other sections don’t feel as well fleshed out and in some cases feel a little it pointless, not really affecting the main plot at all. It is nice to see how Raul’s network is all connected with a lot of moving parts all affecting each other, but I feel these snippets might have been better if they had been cut down a bit to give the film a faster pace.
Overall, #EM3 is a tense drama film, with hints of romance, and if you can cope with its slower pace, it is worth it for the big twist at the end.
