Shot in the style of dogma, Tested brings you directly into the movie by the use of handheld camera and its documentary fly on the wall feel. You start to wonder whether the story is real or not. What's been staged? Are these results really true? Does Sylvio really have HIV? The drama heightens as Sylvio begins to become segregated quietly by people in his life, like his girlfriend, who breaks up with him on Valentine's Day because she needs a break.
The protagonist, brilliantly played by Sylvio Pollio, keeps on you the edge of your seat. All though the subject is serious, Sylvio's charismatic and engaging performance allows the audience to forget about the possible looming doom of the results. Sylvio and his film school friends document his journey for a school project. We are pulled along into the story by Sylvio's fervor the change himself and the face of AIDS.
Director Roger Evan Larry walks a fine line between anticipating The Blair Witch Project and criticizing Dogma in the way its shot.
What is most compelling is Sylvio's realization that he is not invincible. The realization that there could be something out there that could actually kill him. Most teens do not know what death really is. They are young, fit, virile, and can conquer the world. Does Sylvio really know the worth of his life? The ending leaves you with questions but also with a sense of closure.
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