Maze

When I come across a movie that is directed by and stars a former TV actor who has only done sporadic film work, I worry that it is a vanity piece and not worth the price of the popcorn accompaniment.

I am always happy when I turn out to be wrong.

Maze is a very nice little film. Not great. Not staggering. It is just quite good. It concerns the flowering relationship between an afflicted artist and the girlfriend of one of his buddies: how and why it happens, the inner turmoil that results and the logical conclusion to the relationship of the three main characters. It doesn't stray from the focus on the main characters and in the course of the film we see and understand how they came to be where they are. To be honest, I have always considered Laura Linney and Rob Morrow to be only adequate actors. They are pleasant enough to watch, but I have never expected much from either. Even with Linney's recent critical acclaim, I didn't expect much from her in this film. Again I was wrong about both actors. Morrow does quite a good job giving us a character afflicted with Tourette's without it either being soooo distracting as to be annoying or looking like a histrionic excorcism. I felt that he was able to show a character that was crippled by his place in society but still letting us see that underneath was a basically good person. And letting us see that good person makes it believable that Laura Linney's character would love him, despite his disease's symptoms. Linney as well gave a performance of growing depth and understanding. We see her character move from genuinely liking Morrow as a comfortable friend to loving him as the true partner she wanted all along. We see it in her eyes when she looks at him, when they work and read together and in the very simple act of taking his hand and quietly calming him while sitting in an audience at a recital.

If you enjoy simple, focused, character movies, I would suggest checking Maze out at your local video store.

"Maze" tells of a trio of young adults with one being an artist with Tourette's syndrome, Lyle Maze (Morrow)...oh, and a baby too. Slick, fresh, and a different kind, a better kind of love story, "Maze" integrates Tourette's with the other aspects of the film but the film is not about Tourette's. It's about love. Not romance. Love.

A finely crafted piece, "Maze" spends the whole run time developing the characters and their relationships while explaining nothing, refusing to be a typical Hollywood no-brainer by spelling everything out with sky writing. Rather it assumes the audience is intelligent and empathic enough to understand the thoughts and feelings of the characters...something more often seen in foreign films. The antithesis of schmaltz, this hip and light-hearted drama is easy to get into, runs quick, and has a great ending. Kudos to Morrow for this wonderful film. ("Maze" also has the best birth scene I've seen in a movie.)

MAZE (2001) *** Rob Morrow, Laura Linney, Craig Sheffer, Gia Carides, Rose Gregorio, Robert Hogan. Morrow - who co-wrote with Bradley White and co-produced - makes his big screen debut to boot as a gifted artist afflicted with Tourette's Syndrome who finds himself babysitting his friend Linney while her boyfriend - and his best friend - Sheffer - is working as a doctor in a third world nation, and the two bond closely when she reveals her pregnancy ultimately leading to love like no other. Fine acting by the two protagonists make up for the tricky camera maneuvers (i.e. Morrow's view point as a herky-jerky shake of the unfolding scenes at hand) in this otherwise unique spin on the suffering artist in love comedy/drama genre.

As a person with TS my whole life, this movie was quite refreshing to see. The Tic Code was actually a little better overall because it was about a child and the stuff he faces with TS - it hit close to home for me.

But this one was a pretty accurate portrayal. I loved the acting and for the first time in my life actually liked Laura Linney. She's a good actress but I usually hate her. Not here.

The refreshing part about this movie is that it portrayed the following things:

-People with TS can be successful -People with TS have normal human feeling like the rest of humanity -People with TS can have friends and relate to others - the TS is the only thing that's "off" -Being casted out as young child by all who think you're a freak (especially your parents)and not being guided through it is what leads to low self esteem and isolation - not the disorder itself -That not all people with TS are these sweet and nice people that others dump all over - in other words, I thought Lyle Maze was an a-hole - that came with him being an eccentric artist - not really the TS

Of course as a TS person I gotta look at the only 2 things they didn't get right.....

-They just had to stick in the swearing right? When will there be a movie about TS that doesn't deal with the swearing? It's only 15% of all TS sufferers - I've never had that problem

-Doing his tics while he was painting - and while he was in the sexual tension moments with Laura Linney and on his date with her friend.

When you're in the moment - your tics pretty much disappear. If that were me on the date, my tics would be barely noticeable because the uneasiness is what overtakes you. During sex - forget it - it's as if TS was never a problem. As I sit here and write - no tics.

But alas, I know this nitpicky stuff really isn't the central theme of the movie. The acting and the story were stupendous. Good show!

There are many people-- too many, in fact,-- who live their entire lives on the `outside looking in,' to one degree or another, because the `normal' ones among us-- the ones who govern the great majority, or even the ones who just have a hand in formulating the criteria by which the parameters of our great `Society' are established-- deem it to be so, and have the wherewithal to effect their ends. Indeed, there are those who probably prefer an `outsider' status, rather than succumbing to the tenets of what is essentially the wide spread hypocrisy so prevalent throughout our world today. But it would be nice to at least give them that choice, which unfortunately, despite all the `politically correct' posturing that goes on and on around us daily, we do not. Yet, ironically, often it is these denizens from beyond the mainstream that so enrich our lives with their thoughts, art, and by their mere presence amongst us. `Maze,' written, directed by and starring Rob Morrow, is the story of one of these: An artist, whom we discover early on is also a very caring person, who is nevertheless relegated to that outer rim because he suffers from Tourette's Syndrome. He's different; he doesn't fit in; he's an embarrassment. He's also a very accomplished artist who puts his pants on one leg at a time, just like the rest of us. And-- like the rest of us-- he has very basic wants and needs, all the things that give definition to what he really is: Human. Just like the rest of us.

Lyle Maze (Morrow) is an established artist on the verge of a critical and financial breakthrough, but he lives a solitary existence, spending most of his time holed up in his loft, alone. He has one good friend, Mike (Craig Sheffer), but stays to himself, attempting to avoid the ridicule and embarrassment, or just the unwanted attention elicited by the uncontrollable `tics' generated by the Tourettes. Mike is a doctor and prescribes medication that may help, but Lyle fears it may stifle his creativity, as well, so he refuses to take it. it affects his work though, too, as his sudden outbursts are too disconcerting for even those with whom he must work, as when a model he has hired to pose for him walks out, unnerved by his seemingly erratic behavior.

Then Mike makes a decision that ultimately becomes the catalyst for what becomes a significant emotional event in Lyle's life. Mike, following an altruistic bent, signs on with a medical group and commits himself to months of work in a third world country. It's an admirable pursuit, but to follow this particular dream, he must leave behind the woman he loves, Callie (Laura Linney). And though Mike doesn't realize it, it is a very fragile time for Callie, and for their relationship. As Mike prepares to leave, Callie, aware of Lyle's predicament with models, volunteers to pose for him. Things become complicated, however, when Lyle suddenly begins to realize that he has feelings for Callie-- feelings he should not have in light of the fact that Mike is his best (only) friend. Lyle is conscientious and sensitive to the issue, but as is always the case in matters of the heart, all bets are off. And so, to his problems with Tourettes, Lyle must now add the inner conflict and guilt born of his (as yet unexpressed) feelings for Callie, as he seeks to resolve yet another of the curves that life seems determined to throw at him.

This movie marks the feature film debut of Morrow as a writer (along with Bradley White)/director, and it's one of those little gems that it's so gratifying to discover after sifting through all of the `fools gold' that Hollywood continues to pollute the stream with. Morrow successfully taps into that vein of need that runs through the human condition, places it in a proper setting, measures the finger of his audience and sizes it accordingly. And like a hand crafted item made with precision and an eye for detail, the result is a small, but invaluable treasure. Morrow (probably best known for his work in the TV series `Northern Exposure') has an acute grasp of human nature, and his insights provide the basis for a thought provoking, emotionally involving sojourn through the landscape of the human condition. Indeed, it is the humanity he finds in his characters that makes this film sing. It is a sensitive presentation devoid of any overt sentimentality that would have rendered it maudlin; with a seemingly innate sense of the emotional boundaries within which he must stay to be effective, Morrow keeps his finger on the pulse of the story, makes the necessary adjustments and keeps the heartbeat steady. And it works.

As Lyle, Morrow gives an extremely affecting performance; his `tics' are done to perfection, to the point of an irritating realism that so effectively gives you that sense of what it must be like to suffer such a malady, as well as offering some real insight into how it affects those who encounter someone with Tourettes, and how difficult it can be to respond appropriately. Morrow's portrayal generates understanding and sympathy for the sufferer, while at the same time offers some vindication to those who simply cannot cope with it. As a filmmaker, Morrow is to be complimented for offering up such a sensitive subject for the consideration of his audience, doing it objectively and without passing judgment on their response.

Laura Linney is terrific, too, as Callie, giving a performance that evokes the empathy of the viewer with her portrayal of a woman at an emotional crossroads in her life, who though beset with inner conflict finds the strength to overcome her troubles and decide for herself the direction her life will take. It's the kind of memorable performance which, along with Morrow's, makes `Maze' an entertaining and satisfying cinematic experience. It's the magic of the movies. 8/10.