OperaLA

Even though I had low expectations after the novelist was revealed to be a fraud, I cannot believe how pathetically poor this film is as narrative film-making. Unfortunately, the few positive accounts have been from those who have been "moved" by extremely stylized photography, an irritating soundtrack, and poor acting that has been misinterpreted as "realistic." If there was some story payoff to being made uncomfortable while it unfolds, that would have been something. But there is no payoff.

Then then there were the production stories of the on screen drug abuse being a mere shadow of what was happening behind the camera. Apparently, locations were chosen where "local connections" could easily be traded for a chance to "work on a movie." That's just sad.

This is not what independent film-making should be.

I must admit that I do not know whether the film's success is due to, or in spite of, the multiple writers. When one is aware that several writers, including the director, wrote different scenes, it is a challenge to find just what the cohesive factor is that makes the film so engaging. Admittedly, some scenes are ineffective (the initial poker scene), while some are wildly successful (the poker scene invaded by the characters played by Joey Lauren Adams and Parker Posey). It is one of those films that is MORE than the sum of its parts.

After several viewings on DVD (I wish I had seen it in the theater), I realized that many details, at first insignificant, contribute to its impact. The film begins broadly, simply and beautifully -- Stolz, Tilly, and Scheffer are on the highway coming home from a road trip. The open western landscape is practically a metaphor for their friendship. However, the film slowly narrows in, and as the love triangle develops,the view gets less broad. A beautifully conceived and shot example of this is the poolside party scene that begins as a B&W camcorder viewfinder "point of view", then cuts to full color at a particular point of introspection. It sent chills up my spine.

The visual details in the location designs and cinematography are rich and revealing, and seem more considered and professional than one finds in most low budget independent films. However, this strong consistency in production values neither spotlights nor hides the writing dissimilarities.

I strongly recommend this film.