The 9th Movie

It's a fun little flick. It definitely does fire a bit back on some of the critique and suggestions Joel has gotten as he's embarked on this whole experiment. I have to admit that I've been guilty of that myself. Some of my previous reviews have stated so. With Joel mostly not acting in this film, we do get more of a sense of who he is behind the camera, and I find that intruiging. It shows a different side to him and what goes on in his mind. There is character to how it's filmed and, the actors are more than good enough to act out and improvise on what they're doing. The constant yelling is a bit much.

The framing of this is so disingenuous. It seems to imply that there are 2 options: you can use filmmaking as an artform for self satisfaction or you can sell out and make corporate stuff for acceptance because all people want to see is vfx explosions.

But, like, that's not what's happening here. Joel has shot himself in the foot and then decided to run a marathon. Pointing out that you've shot yourself doesn't make shooting yourself in the foot not stupid. It doesn't make it noble to shoot yourself in the foot. It doesn't make critics of shooting yourself in the foot wrong for criticizing the fact that you've chosen to shoot yourself in the foot.

This is the kind of thing only an improvised Joel Haver movie can bring to the table: funny, surreal, aware, and not entirely presented in a perfect package - because it doesn't need to be! Joel, more than any other artist I pay attention to, fearlessly fires so many creative bullets, and this one in my opinion is a bullseye.

The performances are fun and believable, the humor is absolutely bizarre in some places and in others feels conversational and grounded. I can tell that there was a lot of fun to be had at this cabin in the middle of the desert, and more than anything it makes me want to go out and make something fun with my friends. Thanks Joel, and keep doing what you do!

At the start of this film, particularly within the first seven minutes, there was a point where I thought this could be my favourite film in Haver's "12 films in 12 months" project. But as it progressed, it quickly became my least favourite.

When I say least favourite, I don't necessarily mean in terms of my viewing experience. Compared to something like Hiccups, I could gel with the style a lot more. The acting felt a lot more natural, it has a good sense of humour, and it's certainly more original. What I could not stand, however, is what this represents artistically in Joel's catalogue.

The 9th Movie is a grossly bitter and dishonest (or delusional), film from Joel. At the start, I thought we'd be getting an honest reflection from Joel on his filmmaking process. Something which expressed his inner turmoil and frustrations with creating zero-budget features. It's an approach that, without doubt, puts limits on the things you can create and cuts you off from working with very creative people who excel at this professionally. Especially for somebody like Joel, who has preached the idea of imperfection time and time again, I wouldn't be surprised if his insistence on creating zero-budget films has created pressure in himself to stick to that mantra, even if it comes at the expense of hurting his artistic desires.

How wrong I was. Previous to this project, it was my understanding that Joel's career and personal mission was to emphasize that zero-budget films are JUST as valid as Hollywood films. But The 9th Movie proves that what he really thinks is that it's an inherently better system.

Don't get me wrong, in some ways it can be. I think it creates more avenues for the people that Hollywood writes films about to create those projects themselves, making much more honest and grounded works for it. But in other ways, I think there are obvious downsides. There's a limit to things you can express with visuals and audio. Your access to a talented pool of people such as actors, composers, etc... goes way down. All of which can result in an experience that totally kills immersion.

No matter how you create a film, it's going to have its constraints and problems. But with this film, Joel chooses to plead ignorant to that idea. Instead, he'd rather make a film with the thesis that essentially boils down to "to heck with the haters." First of all, I wouldn't be able to stomach ANY film where the director just cries about criticism for an hour, regardless of how much money was put into it. But more importantly, if you're going to address that criticism, at least do it sincerely. Joel's deflection of criticism for his approach reads as completely disingenuous. I think there are very few people on this planet who watch a Joel Haver film and think that he needs to be working with Scarlett Johanson or Chris Pratt. It's a completely absurd and hyperbolic point to make.

What is so wrong with acknowledging that time can often lead to stronger projects? In this film, Joel says the 12 features project is cool because it's never been done before. And sure, that's neat, but what is that in service to? Just to say that you did it? That is a beyond shallow and self-indulgent reason.

I don't know. For me, Joel's creative mission always spoke for itself with his previous output. But here, he's quite literally spelling it out for us in a way which feels like a giant ego-stroke. He's repeating things we've heard him preach multiple times before. And I believe in those things he preaches. But when you make something that shows such little self-awareness, something that feels so deflective and resentful, something that feels so driven by ego, I am immediately turned off.

The cast did a great job though, they all bounced off each other's energy incredibly well. I just wish it wasn't surrounded by a film that feels so gross.

I'm not attacking the idea of doing what you love, creating art, true human expression or anything of the sort. I'm just respecting Joel and taking him seriously when he says he wants his films on Letterboxd, that they're cheap, fast, AND good, that they're better than the average Hollywood movie. I'm grading them by that standard - not by how expensive it was but of how well I feel it was executed, no matter the constraints.

And after Joel works hard to convince me the extent to which I should consider his movies "real movies" (as if being a genius YouTube shorts creator isn't a real and respectable job/achievement that takes real hard work, passion, and skills to succeed at), he will release something that to me almost mocks the also real work, passion, and skills that goes into SOME of these Hollywood movies (such as stop motion), and act like I'M supposed to act like its just as good, just because he poured his heart into it. Well that only makes me respect you, support your creative journey, and keep coming back for the next inevitable banger - but it's not gonna make me lie about my experience. Truthfully speaking, this was awful.