A movie a few good elements, such as a novel plot, but eventually the narrative is inconclusive and poor, to use a euphemism.

I loved this film, despite the fact that It’s difficult to piece together the location, time period, or just what kind of partisan group this story represents, if any. It’s equally difficult to tell what the relationship of the main character is to the harem of women and children who he reigns over with total control and social isolation. At times the Partisan is kind, benevolent, and loving as the father figure to the many small children in his care. But, his seeming kindness is completely negated by the fact that he is has trained his young son as a brutal, dispassionate assassin and sends him out to kill three different men over the course of the film. Although the audience is not let in on the reason why. The film leaves many questions unanswered, but the actors are superb, the storyline riveting, and we’re left feeling deep compassion for the women and children whose lives and psyche the Partisan has torn apart.

Review: For such a basic movie about a man, Gregori (Vincent Cassel) who builds his own territory for troubled women with children, and also lives with his wife Susanna (Florence Mezzara) and young son Alexander (Jeremy Chabriel), who is a trained cold blooded killer, it really did touch me. Alexander just wants do be a normal young boy, and he is curious about the outside world and the right and wrongs of life but his father has his own ideas for Alexander, and he tries to gear him towards the secluded life that he has built. After the strange disappearance of a young boy, who turns against Gregori, Alexander becomes weary of his father's intentions and he starts to question his life as an assassin, which doesn't go down to well with Gregori. His love for his mother and there new born baby, makes him take matters into his own hands, so he can better there life and get them away from the demanding and extremely unorthodox, Gregori. This is definitely an original concept, with some great acting from Cassel, Chabriel and the little boy who goes against Gregori. The whole trained assassin element, was a bit weird and the fact that they kept on getting away with it, wasn't very realistic but the rest of the storyline was great. Scenes like when Gregori's methods were questioned by the little boy, who was totally against killing the chicken, made this film a joy to watch and the transformation for Cassel, who really did look like he had the world on his shoulders, was also impressive. For a low budget, independent movie, that didn't get the biggest distribution campaign from the studio, I'm glad that I gave this movie a chance because I thoroughly enjoyed it. Great! Round-Up: French actor Vincent Cassel, 49, first impressed me in the movie La Haine in 1995, and he has gone on to make big budget movies like Joan of Arc, Shrek, Irreversible, Ocean's 12 & 13, Derailed, Eastern Promises, Mesrine, Black Swan, A Dangerous Method and Child 44. His next big movie, Jason Bourne alongside Matt Damon, proves that he definitely has the ability to star in big budget movies, while he still makes films for his native country but I personally think that he doesn't get the recognition that he deserves. Anyway, this movie was directed and written by Ariel Kleiman, 31, who has only made 5 shorts in his career. For his first major project, he certainly got the most out of the actors and the great script kept the movie interesting, from beginning to end.  I recommend this movie to people who are into their thriller/dramas starring Vincent Cassel, Jeremy Chabriel, Florence Mezzara and Charlotte Miller. 7/10

Dull drama as a young boy rebels against the cult leader of his community whilst the boy is trained as an assassin.

The film with its dark themes and premise is passable, but given its clearly set in Eastern Europe, and full on non-English speaking actors, it feels slightly weird that this is all done in English.

Not for everyone, this is a moody piece which tends to try too hard in reaching art house standards. The premise is interesting, but the film as a whole fails to both grip me as a viewer and stir my emotion. I can't help but think that a lot more could and should have been done with Gregori and Alexander's relationship to at least make the ending mean more than it actually did. And....where are the Police?? Surely a threat to Gregori's ideal world would create more tension and vulnerability. Interesting, but fails to reach the heights i was expecting.

wow this movie was sooooooo bad and the synopsis lie about being violence in this for an assassin there is not many assassinations violence or even a story line the only thing that was assassinated was the plot.

Very intelligent movie. Is has a lot more of content than it is obvious at first sight.

Oh I love Sundance films! And yes, I'm a fan of the actor Vincent Cassel so that was enough to get me to go see the movie. Unlike what is portrayed in the trailers, this isn't really a thriller, it is more of a drama/coming-of-age story as there is not a lot of action, rather the atmosphere is thick, and an overall feeling of dread looms over the entire film. Director Ariel Kleiman has produced a stunning yet shocking first feature debut drama that lives of visual storytelling, rather than dialogue. Very little of the action in the movie is explained outright and its slow pace may leave the viewer at times confused with the narrative. Rather than exploring the amazing looking outside world that has been created, the film focuses more on how this world has affected its characters. While I feel a bit divided about the film, there is no denying that it is technically sound, with the locations, camera-work and soundtrack all of extremely high quality. Whether you will like this or not will boil down to whether you like this fresh approach to making a film, as it does come close to being too ambiguous for its own good. Personally I liked it, as it is unlike most movies, though it does smell ever so slightly of lazy writing. But the world within the film is so intriguing that it works, as long as the viewer is willing to participate in the experience. I cannot shake the feeling that this is a brilliant concept that is not fully explored, but the film's universe is unforgettable; both the desolate outside world and within the compound, where Gregori's word is law and children are encouraged to be creative, whether it includes face-painting or karaoke. The story follows Gregori (Vincent Cassel), a mysterious yet very charismatic man who has formed his own self-sustainable community in a feral and decaying bunker including a wild courtyard, sheltered from the dangerous and morbid distopian world, accessible only by tunnels and a locked off gate. Gregori lives in his self-created community with eight women and their children; he is the educator and benevolent protector of his brood, indoctrinating them "to protect the ones you love". Susanna's (Florence Mezzara) son, 11 year-old Alexander (Jeremy Chabriel) is the strongest and best "student", leading the gold star chart in Gregori's classroom. He is highly praised for his achievements, trustworthiness and abiding by rules. Daily task of the children's education include gardening and cultivating vegetables in their courtyard, Gregori's teachings of what is right and wrong, and playful training to kill, with instruments such as paintball guns, dart blasters and the shooting of balloons. The children all adore and love Gregori. Alexander tries to please his father, executing set assignments in the outside world where he operates as assassin. However, Alexander's curiosity about the outside world augments especially once the new boy Leo (Alex Balaganskiy) arrives, who questions Gregori's orders. Alexander's perception of his father and the world changes, he drifts away from him and starts to think for himself. Alexander commences to unravels Gregori's idyllic world. Hence, Gregori's authority is in trouble. Most of the film's run-time is spent inside this compound, which at first confused me, as the barren world that is created outside the compound's walls is extremely striking. I wondered why this world wasn't explored further. A world in which Gregori has not only built a compound where his word rules, but also a world where he sends child assassins out to do his dirty work. However, I believe this was the intention, as the focus is on the daily lives of the people inside these walls, and on the way Gregori seems to be a husband to so many woman while also being a father figure to so many children. These children love living in the compound so much that they cannot see the violence that resides in Gregori's heart. He is a flawed and complex man, whose personality is a direct result of the desolate outside world. Or, one could ask, is this only the way he perceives it? Director Kleiman cleverly transforms the viewer's confusion into suspense and thrill, once rebellious boy Leo challenges Gregori's world. Don't be surprised if the first half hour of Ariel Kleiman's remarkably atmospheric and diabolical thriller, leaves you off-balance. That seems to be the point conjuring up as many unanswered questions as possible, creating a mental fog that disrupts the senses. Who is the mysterious, charismatic man in the maternity ward who both seems to belong there and yet, strangely, does not seem to belong there? Why does he have such a control over the woman about to give birth? Years later, why is he the only grown up man in a community of women? And where in the world is this isolated, rocky commune located? Through the ambiguous ending Kleiman ensures that the viewer walks away with thoughts about mind control, manipulation, child assassins and psychological seduction. The film's greatest achievement is dropping the audience into a world of peculiar construct and providing little in the way of a lifeline. Kleiman, who co-wrote the screenplay with Sarah Cynglar, keeps information at an absolute minimum, which as it turns out is exactly how it should be. Gregori is one of the better characters I've seen in a film for a while, as is Alexander. They both have complex character arcs, as does their father-son type relationship. Do I think it was lazily written? Yes, to a small extent. The dialogue could have been better and there could have been more action, but ultimately I feel the filmmakers wanted viewers to think, to ponder, to contemplate on what they have just seen. In this regard it succeeds, but with a little more energy in the dialogue and with more meat on the bones of the story, this really could have been quite something. I guess the budget constrains would be a strong reason for the hindrance. Youngster Jeremy Chabriel plays his role as cheerful, naive and curious young boy successfully; the viewer is led to perceive the world and reality through his eyes. Vincent Cassel is the impeccable match to play the mysterious and authoritarian lead role of Gregori; the cult leader who indoctrinates young children and fosters a culture of dependence among st the women. The movie is a must-see for all visual art lovers and food for thought enthusiasts. As a visual mood masterpiece it provides the viewer with open space for interpretation. A great film to watch, for everyone, who loves to think about and interpret a movie - even days after it has been viewed. On the whole, 'Partisan' is a visual and powerful artistic yet equally disturbing drama that definitely requires decent stamina to watch, as it is not to recommend for the light-hearted or for anyone looking for a Hollywood blockbuster. Australian director Ariel Kleiman's feature debut captivates the audience, portraying intelligently the psychological power and influence adults have on children, as the movie captures a generated "hit or to be-hit world", in which children are trained to become skillful assassins.

For all intents and purposes Partisan neither feels like, looks like or acts like an Australian film despite it very much so being one. It's a rare thing for an Australian film to achieve that feat of not actually feeling Australian and while it's hard to know whether in the case of Ariel film here if this is a good thing, it's not hard for one to feel that Partisan is a sadly frustrating experience to witness. Filmed in a dark, gloomy and atmospheric fashion by first time feature film director Ariel Kleiman, Partisan looks the part and while it's never stated where or at what time this film takes place it has an almost 1984 feel to proceedings that gives it a universal feel that this is a tale that could be happening anywhere in our great big world. The troubling thing about Partisan is that this non-disclosure of where the film is taking place is just one of many things that it never lets the audience into. Kleiman's whole film feels eerie, almost an Oliver Twist gone bad type feel as Vincent Cassel's Gregori looks over and trains his not so merry band of children to go about some pretty confronting missions, but Partisan never cares to absolutely let us into its mindset, although it's clear Gregori is some type of saviour to women in need. You keep watching in hope of finding out more behind the whole thing but sadly the answers are never forthcoming, which is a shame as young actor Jeremy Chabriel handles himself well despite his character of Alexander not being an overly endearing one and Vincent Cassel (a last minute replacement of Oscar Isaac) acquits himself well. Kleiman also shows enough to suggest his future endeavours could be quite the treat and the films soundtrack by Daniel Lopatin (aka Oneohtrix Point Never) is easily one of the year's best. It's all fine and well to have your film remain shrouded in some mystery but unfortunately for Partisan there's just too much mystery and not enough answers and the film suffers emotionally for it and fails to engage in the way in which it so easily could've. A unique Australian backed effort with moments of genuine greatness, Partisan has wins but far far too many losses to compensate for. 2 upside-down chickens out of 5 www.jordanandeddie.wordpress.com

I thought this was subtle, interesting and chilling. It haunted me afterwards

Partisan is proud and certain of its storytelling. It has an evocative central premise and though its socio-political context parallels many aspects of world civilization, it is too vague and abstract to leave a solid statement.

Partisan is an impressive feature debut; both expertly condemning its paternalistic society, but sadly lacking in a single interesting female character to take a stand to Cassel's complex figure.

This well reviewed art piece movie is a dud. The story is clearly made from a personal perspective and works to tell that person a story but it lacks the basic elements of telling a story to someone else! There is no explanation either in text, narration or content to explain anything of the events leaving one to sit for over an hour trying to assemble a story in one's own mind. That is expressly unsatisfying as if a ball is hanging well out of a cat's reach. As we watch this movie, the cat watches the ball and soon both lose interest. Had I been with a different friend, I would have left halfway thru! At least this way i can review the entire thing.

Interesting and reasonably well crafted dystopian allegory. The stark visual stylings unfortunately clash with the story being told, never creating a truly credible world for the characters to inhabit. As debuts go, it suggests not an exciting new voice, but an eloquent one struggling for something to actually say.

A dark, dystopian film in which our sense of dread grows from early on. A fair bit to think about here. Great performance by the young star, as well as Cassells. All the better for being an Australian film that doesn't feel overtly Australian. #partisanfilm

Despite being an Australian movie it has a very European feel. In fact, until the credits, I had no inkling that it was an Australian movie. There is much about the movie to like. The mood is unsettling. The cinematography is good. The acting on the part of Jeremy Chabriel is amazing given what, I believe, is his first movie role. Unfortunately, despite all the good, PARTISAN just doesn't make it. It is incredibly slow and boring with a weak narrative that is unengaging. Without doubt, this director is worth watching as his filmmaking develops. And PARTISAN shows there is probably great things to come.

Tremendous film from a debut director about a man who lives with a group fo women and children in a kind of hidden compound outside a destroyed East European city and who through times is revealed fro what he is really doing. From home schooling to hit men this film has a lot to say about childhood, caring and being careful. Well worth seeing.

Vincent Cassel is outshined by the young boy, Jeremy Chabriel Really interesting movie, interesting plot and idea