sarazarr

This is a great little independent film in the vein of Robert Altman or P.T. Anderson, only shorter (88 restrained minutes!) and without tragedy ensuing at every turn. Maybe Nicole Holofcener's movies (Walking and Talking, Lovely & Amazing) would make for a better comparison, because this film definitely has the woman's touch and not quite so much testosteroney angst. Writer/director/actress Cecil Castelucci is a working artist with many talents - her credits include songwriter, author of young adult fiction, and performance artist. No, it isn't the first movie about a handful of intertwining lives in L.A., and it won't be the last, but it's definitely one of the more watchable. I hope to see more from this director!

I rented this movie because I will watch anything with Bill Macy. Well, perhaps that shouldn't have been my only criteria. A shaky premise, a weak McGuffin, and the world's stupidest "hero" all add up to 94 minutes of my life I will never get back. I knew I was not in good hands within the first five minutes when Kim Basinger is walking her son to school. Turns out she's a high school science teacher. (I guess the horn-rim glasses are supposed to provide credibility on that front.) I don't know any teachers who have time to walk their children to school and return home for a cup of coffee and conversation with the maid (maid??) before heading off to work. Later in the movie when someone asks Kim if her family is rich, she laughs and says, "No, my husband is a realtor." (Actually she says "real-a-tor" but that's a whole different subject.) Yet they live in a giant house in Brentwood and have a maid. Anyway. The perplexities only increase as the movie goes on; the writers must think their audience is made up of the stupidest people alive, and judging from some of the positive reviews here they may be right. Special features on the DVD about the LA Rampart scandal attempt to lend credibility to the flick, but by then it's way too late. The sad part is that with the merest thought put into the story this could have been a fun popcorn movie.

I went to this film with high expectations, as the filmmakers are somewhat local with their BYU connection and area press was very positive. I just didn't see anything in this movie that I haven't seen done before---and to better effect---in movies like Welcome to the Dollhouse, Election, and Rushmore. On the surface, it sort of seemed cool and ironic, but there was nothing beneath that. The whole "cool dorkiness" aesthetic is interesting but shouldn't be used just for the sake of itself. That's true for any artistic choice of tone or style or aesthetic. There's got to be something supporting it to make it worthwhile. There were some laughs, but on the whole there was nothing to connect it emotionally to something more.