gothic_a666 "Mole": dull, jittery, overall numbing and clearly inept. I was somewhat surprised to see that this movie has met with such overwhelmingly positive reviews at IMDb. First of all, I would like to state that I have absolutely nothing against independent movies or low budget realizations of such a cinematographic genre that relies on originality and engaging shooting methods to better convey a certain atmosphere of either realism or artistic bizarreness, and, at its best, a convincing hybrid mixture of both. Alas, that is exactly where "Mole" fails. The technical shortcomings would be more than enough to undercut whatever impact it might otherwise have had, had the camera not been handled with all the competence of a five-year old. By choosing to shoot the great majority of the movie in a purposeful darkened environment the terrible camera handling comes across as an intrusion to the viewing experience, since all one sees are blurred images, followed by tantrum and randomly annoying scenes of unfocused walls, that are a prelude to scenes crammed with solid darkness and nothing else. It could be argued that this was the whole point of this production, to create and ambiance of claustrophobic intensity by refusing to deliver much, leaving it to the viewer to decide for himself what the message is. If so, that did not work. Instead, what is presented is only a terribly amateur movie, trying to reenact the Blair Witch Porject in another setting. If one bothers to compare the two, it becomes painfully obvious that "Mole" was only trying to explore a certain formula that had proved to be effective, in the desperate hope that its unpretentious gritty atmosphere would be taken as "genuine" instead of purely disheveled, which is what it is.Plot-wise I have no complains, it may be far-fetched that a reporter would get all hyped over the remote prospect of finding homeless people living in some abandoned tunnel complex, but in this kind of movie one should never be too strict about such conventions as "plausability". Regardless of that, characters wander aimlessly along badly shot tunnels, scream, are chased, and all along there is no feeling of tension and, surely, no brooding impression of lingering threat. As for the amazing twist...I'd say it was somewhat predictable, does not actually add up to what came prior to its disclosure and might even add more. I am quite sure I detected some goofs on this gem as well, but I am not inclined to share them, as I don't even think it is worth it.On a final note, the editing is bellow standard in a way that is remarkably incompetent and the acting is only mediocre. Just because a movie happens to hail from an independent effort does not immediately confer it the title of greatness or brilliancy. "Mole" is a clear example of that.

mark-506 I won't summarize "Mole" here, as the other reviewers have already done a pretty good job. I will just share my impressions: though "Blair Witch" comparisons may be inevitable, they only skim the surface. "Mole" is far more tense, with a fully fleshed-out storyline and well-developed characters whose ambiguity grows exponentially as the story's screws tighten on them. And you just can't get over the rawness of the look, so central to the film's effectiveness. It's obvious that Mauro, Savini and their cast & crew really ARE down in the subterranean tunnels of New York, and it's terrifying enough just imagining them all there, in pitch dark, with rats and God knows what else crawling all over them, just to get this film made. This you-are-there creepiness fills every frame and enriches each performance, especially Sam Tsao's. She comes across at first as a bit stiff, but eventually sinks her teeth into a role that is as dark and disturbing as the setting and as "Mole" is itself. An honesty in the storytelling and no B.S. attitude to the dialogue and camerawork also help make this film well worth tracking down.

ohmynerves Considering this film was shot underneath New York City in real abandoned subway tunnels, it's an eye opener from the get go. It kept my interest throughout the story and I really liked the opening sequence which sucks you right in. It's here you get a great sense of the NYC underground as never seen before. The story is about Susan Pei a news reporter trying to impress her boss by exploring the underground for a news story about the homeless. She convinces a cameraman at the station, Nick, and Tom a guy who claims to know the tunnels to go down there and get the story. However, as they enter the vast underground things start to go wrong, leaving the characters in the dark with dying flashlights. As they struggle to find a way out before their flashlights die out the greater problem emerges that they are being followed by someone or worse something that lives in the tunnels.This movie creeps up on you if you watch it at night. The scenes get darker and darker until the characters are practically on top of each other trying to find a way out and avoid the hidden entity. It becomes so claustrophobic at times I found myself having the same anxieties the characters were experiencing. The filmmakers of `Mole' should really be commended for their ability to create such a compelling story on such a low budget. It defines the filmmaker's commitment to independent movie making. I was really surprised how this little film managed to keep sucking me in deeper and deeper as the story progressed. I would have loved to see what they could have done with a real big budget but I guess I might not have been the same type of film. Maybe it was its independent, rugged, style that charmed me but I really enjoyed it for what it was. And I recommend watching this film to the end because the moralistic twist is something we haven't seen in a long time in market saturated with monster movies that amount to nothing redeeming.

with1land2ts For a small independent thriller this movie really delivers. The filmmakers actually shot most of it underneath New York City and it looks great. I can't even imagine how a studio would try to tackle this story. They would probably have to reconstruct the entire tunnel system underneath the city in some warehouse but this picture is the `real deal' as far as authentic locations and I think that is what struck me as so cool when watching.The basic premise involves a reporter named Susan Pei (played by Sam Tsao). She's trying to earn more on screen time and better assignments, and the discovery of several bodies in an abandoned subway tunnel seems to be the springboard she's looking for. She gets a cameraman named Nick (John-Luke Montias) and a guy who claims to be an expert guide, Tom (James Cox), and she heads into the abandoned tunnels to find a story. She finds a story but soon fiction mixes in with reality as they discover more than they bargained for and find themselves struggling to survive against an unknown tunnel dweller.This movie gradually evolves into a potent, creepy concept, and even though I can't imagine how they did some of the shooting of this film on subway tracks, the filmmakers actually managed to create something fairly stylish and moody by really pushing the extremes of light and shadow. It's a must see for any underground enthusiast and a nice twist at the end makes it a picture worth watching There is more than `scares' coming out of `Mole' but a moral theme I think works at its darkest level. This movie is a great example of independent filmmaking and despite its limitations as a low budget movie it surfaces as quite a movie because of its imaginative style and content.