Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Miranda July’s film makes a kaleidoscopal attempt at exploring the imperfect life lived and how people are connected, or become connected, through their various personal absurdities: a woman lives out her fantasies through other people’s pictures, a divorced father burns himself for attention, teenage girls explore their sexuality at a creeper’s beckoning and an adult woman unknowingly falls for a child who has seen Two Girls and a Cup way too many times. Through their bizarre behaviors, each connect and interconnect with other characters for different purposes: the father needs the neighbor to pick up his sick kid, the neighbor’s daughter has a soft spot for the sick kid (even though she is put off by his sexual ventures with the girls who need to see who is better at giving blowjobs after the creeper said ‘the tall one’ could liquidate his testicular assets) and an old man needs shoes while the lead actress needs a man. And yet, a lot of these people are connected by symbolism: ))>><<(( is typed by the child and the adult woman goes on to use it as her business emblem, an old man watches a goldfish die as he is on his way to see his ailing girlfriend and the lead actress puts pink dots on her film submission who in turn receives comfortable pink shoes from a man who decides to give her a discount - which is the decision that incites the actress to become a stalker. While this film flops in a lot of technical filming and editing aspects, Miranda July’s story thread of the interconnectedness of humanity does – I guess – deserve its many awards.

No comments: