This Is Not a Film

Okay, it's almost the end of my fall break. I've been bored. I was scanning the DISH Network guide when I saw a movie called "This Is Not A Film". It had an interesting title so I thought I'd give it a shot. It turned out to be a very excellent movie. The movie/documentary focuses on Michael Connors or something like that. He and his friends Nichols and Lindsey are making a movie about a relationship he had with an Irish woman named Grace. Also, he gives us a behind-the-scenes look at his life and such. Basically, what he wanted to do was get the viewers of the film to tell Grace if they saw her that he was sorry or something like that. He gets his friend Nadia to play Grace and Patty (The woman he was sleeping with.) During the process, he discovers that he screwed up big time.

It was very touching. I really felt for the main character. He was such a goof. Also, Nadia's portrayal as Grace was Oscarworthy at times. (Especially during the really emotional scenes.) If you ever get the opportunity to watch this, do it. You won't be sorry. My rating: 9/10. (Nadia's costuming as Patty was a little ridiculous.)

This is not a film is a clever, witty and often heart touching movie. It's a retrospective of a failed relationship between Michael Connor (Michael Leydon Campbell) and his estranged Irish girlfriend Grace Mckenna. Michael down on his luck decides to make a documentary replaying his whole relationship and what went wrong. He exploits his friendship with an actor he met at the gym Nadia (Nadia Dajani) who he gets to play Grace. The concept of this film is very original. Michaels relationship is shown from every point whether it's a high or low. Michael Leydon Campbell pulls off a fantastic performance that makes you want to help him find Grace. If fact most of the characters pull off great performances except the puzzler. The puzzler is needed to move the plot along yet seems too surreal to exist in a coffee shop. His monologues are often overdrawn and pointless. This is proved when he says "Out of this chaos, we're all trying to create order. And out of the order, meaning. But in reality there is no such thing as meaning. Something only has meaning if we make it have meaning."

The commentary saves this movie. The commentary is done in the vain of This is Spinal Tap and has Michael and his brother explain the problems they had while making the film. Michael offers a very funny self conscious commentary that makes for some very good belly laughs.

Overall I'd give this movie a 7/10.

This is an enjoyable project, that is not a film as the title suggests. Good performance by Nadia Dajani who re-enacts the role of Grace. I follows the re-enactment of what happens to Mike and Grace in New York City. She leaves, but he wants to get in contact with her. This project is his way of trying to getting in touch with her.

I saw it on IFC. I have heard that it will be released on DVD as well. I do like this trend of more independent projects. This is an example of a good project.

I hope that he finds her.

Take a look and be entertained.

KirbyEF

'This Is Not a Film' works because it is so true in what it is trying to say. If you ignore the dynamics of the plot and focus in on the message, you will see a little bit of yourself in the main character, Michael. Whether male or female, all of us have come to a point in our lives where we want to look back and reexamine a situation or a relationship. Did it really occur like we remembered? What went wrong? Michael's desire to find Grace is completely selfish. More than anything, he wants to make himself feel better about how things turned out. But even so, he is a sympathetic character because everyone is selfish when it comes to relationships. We would not be in them otherwise. As the film ends, I am not sure if Michael has learned anything new about himself or not. Our best gauge on the relationship is through his friend, Nadia. She is the soul of the movie and reminds us of how there are always two sides to every story. I found Michael to be pompous, arrogant, and just plain clueless. Which is exactly why I liked him. He is a real character. If you've ever wanted to go back and analyze a previous relationship, then this is a film for you. In closing, it is a film for everyone.

This Is Not a Film is a movie within a movie, in the style of a documentary. It's not as confusing as that sounds.

Michael is a guy whose girlfriend has left him. So he decides to make a video depicting his relationship with her, with the hope that in a "Six Degrees" way, someone who knows her will see it and tell her (Grace) that he misses her.

So not only does this film include the scenes, but also interviews with his "family," and "friends."

Excellent performances by all, but especially Nadia, a stand out playing Nadia (Michael's friend), the fake Grace, and the fake Patty, the women who came between them.

It's really a sweet tale, very natural. We all know people like this.

8 stars out of 10.