‘The Marianas Web’ review: When AI turns nasty

Marco Calvise’s The Marianas Web, written by Calvise, Soriquez and Andrea Cavalletto, and produced by Crystalsky Entertainment (showing in cinemas on 15 October) is about a farmer Fosco (Ruben Soriquez) and his mundane existence: milking cows, feeding them, cleaning their dung, riding on his tractor to plow his land, living alone in a rural mansion, with few human interactions.

To Fosco, the clockwork pattern of his life brings loneliness, detachment and isolation. Even the bucolic and pastoral surroundings and his farm assets seem like a burden — worse, somewhat a curse. He refuses to count his blessings. He longs for adventure and excitement. Just like Belle in Beauty and the Best, Fosco’s being aches that there must be more for him than this provincial life.

Fosco turned to on-line chatting to bring color to his hueless living, and in the world wide web, he meets a woman named Mariana (Alexa Ocampo), who brings not only heat and exhilaration but sun-glasses that brings his fantasies and nightmares to life.

Be careful with what you wish for

Watching The Marianas Web during its invitational screening made me remember the horror classics of Dario Argento, most specially its visual style, color palette used for the film and the fact that it is more of a psychology-driven horror flick. The blood, gore and madness elements in the movie felt like a tribute to the horror genius of Argento.

Credit must be given to Eugenio Cinti Luciani and Paolo Bertola for the excellent cinematography. On the screen, it screamed that this is how Italian cinema must look like.

The trio of writers cleverly weaved the elements of the macabre and science-fiction, and a well-built commentary on the perils of artificial intelligence.

Kudos to director Calvise for bringing to the silver screen the contrasts between pastoral living as a monotonous way of life versus the seemingly alive and pulsating existence of cosmopolitan living and its measurement of success such as fancy cars, having too many women and the hedonism that brings in the pleasures but triples the pain.

One must address loneliness and guilt head on for it consumes and diminishes the will to go on with life.

And yes, we must be careful with all our wishes because we might get it, and the reality of it, is not like a Disney happy ever after, when-you-wish-upon-star kind of ending, but could turn out to be grim, horrific and make you give up your morality and soul.

The Marianas Web is a slow burn kind of motion picture and what makes it an engaging viewing experience is the acting of Sobriquez and Ocampo.

With Sobriquez’s Fosco, one can trully feel the heaviness of his daily grind, his eyes say it all — you know that the loneliness is killing him and when the naughty and sexy arrives, the feeling that he has become a man of the world — you could really see the difference in his eyes. His emotional commitment to being Fosco is truly praiseworthy. He made his character authentic and vulnerable.

A new sexy star and character actress is born with Ocampo. Such a sensual and strong screen presence.

Director’s notes

“Virtual reality and AI permeate our lives. We spend more and more time on our screens while we are losing touch with what matters — real and meaningful relationships,” said director Calvesi. “Spending too much time in the virtual space and also with virtual and AI beings, especially to the weaker and lonely people, is dangerous and can be fatal. A touch, a hug, the sound of laughter, that pat on the back and the feels that another person brings you — no AI or virtual being can replicate and top that.”