Daguerrotype (2016) - Kiyoshi Kurosawa

A superbly well-crafted, ambitious misstep, Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Daguerreotype is a psychological horror film of ambitious and grandiose thematic design.  Daguerreotype is directed with elegance and grace, as Kiyoshi Kurosawa's astute direction evokes a sense of intrigue and atmosphere throughout its bloated running time.  Despite an engaging aesthetic full of evocation, Daguerreotype's narrative and thematic elements don't quite form a cohesive whole, as the film itself is far too convoluted about what exactly it's trying to say.  The story of an obsessive artist and the coercive effect this form of dedication can have on those around them is explored heavily throughout Daguerreotype, with its most salient thematic assertion being directly rooted in the psychological effects an artists self-serving nature can have on the psyche, detailing the deteriorating effect emotional trauma can place on both the artist and those he cares about.  The dichotomy the film creates between the two main characters, the daguerreotype photographer and his assistant, exposes how artistic ambition is often a cataclysm of deep-seeded love and pain, as both these characters inevitably suffer greatly due to their inability to separate their self-serving design with the needs and desires of those they care about.  A film thats beguiling nature leads it up to a host of interesting interpretations, Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Daguerreotype is a slight misstep, but one that is still susceptible to thoughtful analysis and critique.