Review – Externo

This is just a movie.

Joseph (Leandro Taub) is a mysterious man with $2,000 and a dream: to rule the world. He sets out to accomplish this with blackmail, espionage and ingenuity. Through his global network he sets out to manipulate the news and tip the scales of public opinions into his favor and wet his beak with a kickback. In-between Joseph’s many phone calls and news reports, he is seen in dark space as he builds a ladder that will carry him to the top while a disembodied voice gives a TEDTalk about everything he’s avoiding in his conquest to become the most powerful man in the world.

Naturally, all of this comes at the price of a personal life. An equally mysterious woman (Elisabeth Ehrlich) is taken to meet with him at various points to listen to his plan and argue whether or not they’re still in love with each other. It comes off as a reminder that sometimes sacrifices are necessary to get the things we want out of life, especially when your net worth is $2.3 trillion and you think about how many people had to die in order for you to get it.

Joseph is a Bond Villain in training. Using his wits and know-how to rule the world without getting his hands bloody. Pitting nations against each other, exposing the illicit sexual dealings of a Prime Minister in order to get people to vote for the opposition. Joseph watches all this from the safety of his own abandoned warehouse where he, as if almost by magic, watches the news headlines and footage projected on his wall as he paces back and forth, deciding which empire will fall next.

Written by Leandro Taub and co-directed by his brother Jonathan Taub, we get taken on a surreal journey on how easy it would be to dismantle the global economy simply by having the right tools and not taking credit or glory. Joseph is a man who, in 17 chapters, tells the audience that if they wanted to follow in his footsteps, it wouldn’t be that hard. With simple shots and an extremely small cast (only two actors) this film should act as a motivator for everyone in the world that if there is something out there that you really want, there shouldn’t be a thing that stops you from going for it.

Review – Externo

Reviewed online (screener provided by filmmaker), June 20, 2021. Rating: TBC. Running Time: 83 min.

PRODUCTION: A Tikun Olam Media production. Producers: Jonathan Taub, Leandro Taub.

CREW: Directors: Jonathan Taub, Leandro Taub. Writer: Leandro Taub. Cinematography: Jesse Mickle, Jonas Schneider. Editing: José Alfredo Acevedo Taja, Leandro Taub, Benjamin De Vuyst, Jonathan Taub.

CAST: Leandro Taub, Elisabeth Ehrlich.