Gut-to-Go

There are so many laudatory things to be said about the acting and the cinematography and the characters… but mostly I just want to say thank you. Thank you to filmmaker Bri Prooker for making a movie for us women. And I don't say that in a "feminist" way as though only women will – or should – enjoy GUT-TO-GO. I saw plenty of men in the audience laughing, if not drooling a bit as one of Prooker's three character's reenacted the "Maniac" bit of Flashdance. I say that purely as a woman who craves more films with strong morals for women. Prooker shows us the absurdity of the double standard; one in which women have to exercise day in and day out and starve themselves in order to look good for men who may or may not have guts! I won't spoil anything but GUT- TO-GO is the answer to a NYT article that said men should pack on the pounds to appear sexy. I remember distinctly during her Q&A that Ms. Prooker asked when there's ever going to be a new "trend" that says it's OK for women to put on weight and fill out their hips. She mentioned that the only beauty trends there ever are for women are how to lose those extra pounds to get him to like you and be able to fit into your skinny jeans. I applauded her so loud because it's so true. What I find remarkable about GUT-TO-GO is that it doesn't just make a strong, feel-good point; it's also laugh-out-loud funny. So I think anyone with a sense of humor will like this film, whether or not you feel as strongly as I do about its powerful message for women.

First off, I can't believe Prooker's Gut-To-Go is based off a real NYT article that actually said "it's hip" for men to be ROUND! But at the same time, what else is new?! Men have always gotten away with packing on the pounds without losing any kind of power or prestige. But if Jennifer Aniston puts on two pounds it's suddenly breaking news! I love love love that Prooker's film takes a big jab at this double standard while making you laugh at the same time. Brilliant writing and hilarious all around. I would also like to praise Prooker on her remarkable acting ability. I had NO IDEA she played all three female leads in her film until she mentioned it so casually during a Q&A. My jaw just about dropped!

I had the privileged opportunity to view Bri Prooker's film, GUT-TO-GO, at the 2010 Action on Film International Film Festival. As a filmmaker myself, I participate in lots of film festivals and screening in Los Angeles, New York City, and Toronto. I see hundreds of independent films at the most prestigious festivals every year, for many years, and let me tell you, Prooker's film was a standout. Prooker is the next great thing to happen to the world of cinema. A triple-threat (Prooker wrote, produced, and stars in the film), her work is sheer genius. The concept for the film is innovative, truly unique, and the execution is flawless. Prooker's script is hilarious and smart. In my experience, it can be difficult in the case of shorts, especially comedy shorts, to be strong enough to really impact the audience in such a small time period. But because of the brilliance of Prooker's writing and the strength and genius of her acting, viewers are fully engaged and committed within the first seconds of the film, where we see Amy (played by Prooker)dancing/jazz-ercizing to some music. A few perfectly awkward, ingeniously comedic kicks, twirls, hips rolls, and I was hooked, fully invested in the character and the film. Impressive, as this is no easy feat. Prooker continues to shine throughout the entirety of the film. She plays two other characters (so three in all)and each one is brilliant and hilarious in their own way. Each of Prooker's characters are completely distinct from one another, which is amazing. She completely transforms herself and is absolutely convincing (case in point: after the screening, Prooker was invited onstage for a filmmaker's Q&A session, and the crowd went wild when they discovered that she played three parts in the film because they didn't recognize her in such completely distinct roles. And one filmmaker in the audience even raised his hand to comment that he expected a young southern woman to speak (one of Prooker's character's is Georgian) but instead she had a standard American accent, and, to his disbelief, was the same woman who played two other roles in the film. He (and everyone else in the theater) were just in awe. Prooker is a gem. She has the kind of comedic ability that cannot be taught. It's raw and subtle and absolutely hilarious to watch. What I really love about the film itself is its uniqueness. Comedy (both mainstream and independent) is becoming so predictable. The stories are all the same, the jokes are cheap, the plots are predictable. Not so with GUT-TO-GO. Prooker's film is like a breath of (extremely funny) fresh air. Everything about the film is avant garde and unique. Besides being hysterical, the film has a subtle sweetness to it. The film contains a really lovely message that is present enough to warm your heart, but subtle enough not to interfere with or diminish the comedy in any way. GUT-TO-GO is definitely a feel-good comedy. Prooker's acting is amazing and she is an absolute riot in her film. I was so happy to read that she won a Best Supporting Actress award for GUT-TO-GO. She really deserves it. I'm glad that this brilliant film and even more brilliant actress is beginning to garner some of the positive attention that both absolutely deserve. This girl's the one to watch!

It's difficult to deftly tell a funny story with a serious purpose. Either the message gets buried in a crush of jokes or the humor gets lost in PSA-style moralizing. GUT-TO-GO is the rare comedy that manages to make you laugh from opening to closing credits AND leave the theater applauding its important meaning.

For this I credit two factors: 1) a clever script that seamlessly combines subtle irony and broad humor and 2)nuanced acting by Bri Prooker.

Bri so brilliantly embodies three distinct characters in the film that I didn't know until her name kept popping up in the credits that one rather than three actors played the roles of Amy, a frazzled, desperate-to-be-thin-before-her-date-arrives woman; Sue, an over-the-top British infomercial host, and Cyndi, a breathless newscaster who delivers a feature story as Pulitzer Prize-winning breaking news.

I also enjoyed Chad Benjamin and Heidi Fielek, who displayed terrific comedic sensibilities in their roles as Todd, a hunk with body image issues, and Charlotte, Amy's trend-loving friend.

Go-Go-Go!! see GUT-TO-GO!

So I don't often feel compelled to write reviews, but Bri Prooker's "Gut- To-Go" has inspired me to make the effort. Mostly because it sparkles with true intelligence, wit and freshness, which you don't see a lot of in Hollywood and even in the so-called indie world. Prooker's script is flat-out brilliant. It calls to arms a real problem with the way women are portrayed in the media in comparison to men, but does so in a way that bears no resemblance to anger or angst. Prooker finds humor in the utter ridiculousness of how the media is so quick to accept flaws in men and even quicker to point out flaws in women. This film will make you laugh and smile and maybe even question society's double standard for men and women.