FILMBRATS - REVIEWS

After his divorce, Richard desperately tries to keep the kids in his life. They do live with him part time, but they purposefully make themselves unavailable. After all, the kids have their own troubles trying to fit in at school and in the neighborhood. Meanwhile, Christine, a driver and caretaker for the elderly and disabled, is attempting to get noticed as a performance artist by a major gallery. On a chance meeting at Richard’s job as a shoe salesman at an upscale department store the two hit it off and find themselves complicating their lives even more with all these fresh emotions. Can they successfully pull off the juggling act?

It’s kind of tough to describe the plot in an interesting and representative manner. The film is just a little bit too quirky for that to be possible. So, imagine if you will a more grounded, less controversial Todd Solondz. That would be writer/director/lead actress Miranda July. This movie contains several slightly quirky characters that take precedence over a plot full of potential taboos and artistic flavor that’s designed to be a connecting line (instead of a driving force) between clever scenarios. This results in some unmotivated actions that are there just to add more conflict when it’s not really needed so that the characters can reaffirm their unpredictable side to you. A big difference between the two writer/directors is that Solondz pushes his envelope farther. The inhabitants of July’s small world are real, believable people that just happen to have little secrets that make them interesting. Solondz makes a point to exploit and announce those secrets to further his story. Neither way is correct or incorrect, they’re just different.

The comedy isn’t always all there. It too sometimes takes a backseat to establishing the characters in a desired light. However, there is one scene that made me laugh harder and longer than any film I’ve seen in a long time. Just try to hold back when Richard’s seven year old son Robby explains the meaning behind this symbol: ))<>((. How can you not crack up when such a little kid is describing a sex act that even John Waters hasn’t heard of before.

And to top it all off, the performances are great. The boy that plays Robby, Brandon Ratcliff, is simply amazing. Very few child actors can portray such innocence while still coming across as an actor who knows what he’s doing. He plays off the others very nicely and easily steals every scene he’s in. The others are pretty good, too. Even with the aforementioned unmotivated moments, they’re able to keep things on track and seem true to the overall atmosphere of the film.

Not everyone will like this movie. Miranda July is a performance artist and of course that is front and center here. Not only do we see some of her pieces within the film, but the whole film is also something of a larger piece of work put on display for us. It’s given a narrative structure to make it easier to swallow, but you can’t deny source. You may need something of an open mind to really enjoy the film. Be willing to embrace a little strangeness. Be very willing to accept a lot of indie cleverness However, even if you do, the way the film ends leaves something to be desired.

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