Can't do it. 'Cause if you peer through the typical morass of the random dysfunction and depression on display, you can spot and savor glimmers of raw talent here........from a gifted, thoughtful filmmaker, showing a sure hand with actors and a firm command of visual storytelling.
Her first smart move was gifting the film with herself as the lead - a misery-stricken 20-something haunted by the suicide of her best friend......(within a single camera shot, Gillam can go from movie-star stunning to the acne-ridden girl-next-door without blinking an eye.....she's brilliant that way.....)
There's not much else here........it's Indie-world, after all......no real story, no forward momentum, just remote observation of character and behavior......
But Gillam still grips your attention and holds on to it........and in her careful wide-screen compositions you can tell she knows, unlike the usual spate of film festival phonies, how to make a film that resonates visually. She not only can direct her cast skillfully, she's got a cinematic eye.
It's a tough business and most indie darlings who make circuitous, self-indulgent mind-trips like this don't get another shot at it........thankfully. But Gillam's got genuine filmmaking chops.....and she's one writer-director-actor that BQ would love to see keep making movies.
2 stars (**)......but more, please. Armed with a real script and a real story, Karen Gillam could easily knock one out of the park.......
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