Split- Etisalat E Life- Video On Demand

By: Hamza Shafique

Blogging and reviewing is not my job and is still a hobby that doesn’t pay at all. So, I still need to keep my regular 8 to 6 job. For this reason, I cannot see all the films that are released and it gets even harder if the movie is rated 18+, as I usually plan family trips to cinemas. Split was one such movie that when it was released I couldn’t watch it in cinema and was upset about it. So when I saw Split available on Etisalat E-life, I immediately rented it.

Split is a classic example of how acting and direction can turn an otherwise ordinary screenplay into an extraordinary cinematic experience. James McAvoy is the heart of this horror thriller and M Night Shyamalan's keen eye for camera angles/details is the beat in this heart.  Anya Taylor-Joys presence also compliments the two. Story is about a man who has 23 personalities living in him and two of the personalities believe in something which leads them to kidnap teenage girls and rest of the story deals with it. James McAvoy depicts each character with so much conviction that one cannot believe it’s the same person every time. There is a scene where multiple personalities take control of his body in couple of seconds without any apparent physical change and James depict each one perfectly through his facial expressions, vocal variation and body language. The way he snaps out of one and gets in to the other personality in one continuous reel is Oscar worthy. M Night Shyamalan's direction and Mike Gioulakis cinematography makes each and every frame/movement we see on screen a visual experience. There is a scene where James character kills a person (trying hard not to give spoiler) and this scene has been done with such brilliance that as an audience u can register every movement/expression of James and the one being killed. Excellent craftsmanship of film making that we experience in Split makes it one of the best Horror-Thriller experience and not the screenplay which is usually the case in such movies.

This movie was made with a budget of 9 million dollars only and ended up making 279 million dollars which is a true testament of its brilliance. It’s now available on E-Life and for a rental price of 19 dirhams only. So, if you don’t have big weekend plans than I will recommend you Split as your home weekend movie. To enhance the experience, I will suggest, to turn down the lights, increase the volume and make sure there is no disturbance.

I am strictly against torrent downloads and piracy so I always provide legal way of watching good content in High definition and Etisalat E-life is one such source. I am thinking of making E life-video on demand, a permanent segment on this blog, what do you guys think?