Below the Belt

I had the opportunity to go to a screening of Human Error last night, and I will say that I am very glad I went. The movie invokes a kind of absurdity which reminded me of Brazil (one of my favorites), with the three main actors working with perfect synchronicity and comedic timing to make hilarious commentary on workplace relations and ethics. The scenery is mainly CGI, but it is a completely new take on the use of computer imaging and makes the whole film seem like some crazy tribute to Hieronymus Bosch. In the end, the movie makes you laugh a lot, albeit sometimes uncomfortably, and is definitely worth seeing if you get the chance. Whether you are a disgruntled worker, a technophile, or a stoned college student, this movie really has something for everyone.

I liked this immensely--for its originality, its creative style, its literary and visual inventiveness, and, finally, its sophistication. It was not only the best film I saw (out of 60 films) at Sundance 2004, but it also ranked in my top 5 (among some 800 films) for the entire year. According to the director, who attended the Sundance Festival screening, pre-production had gone on for a total of 7 years, finding the proper cast, locations, and so on. Finally, after trying such locations as Puerto Rico, etc., they finally ended up on a studio stage in Colorado. In addition, coming up with actors that simply could not be better in these roles, then bringing in computer- graphics specialists (mainly an extremely talented 23-year-old newcomer named Chris, and experimenting not only with the special "look" of the film but also with different kinds of music, the director and his crew have produced a remarkable and memorable tour de force--really one of a kind--yet delightfully reminiscent of Harold Pinter, Tom Stoppard, and Samuel Beckett all put together! Bravo for near-octogenarian Robert M. Young. He's made a brilliant contemporary classic!

To indulge yourself in HUMAN ERROr is to enjoy what Cinema is supposed to be about. When was the last time that you DIDN'T Know the 'next line,' when did you last view actors who breathed their parts, when were the expectations that you didn't know that you had were last fulfilled?

Friday night we went to the Sunshine on Houston and were amazed by this flick. I knew of Bob Young, the Director, having seen CAUGHT – which I still think the sexiest 1st run flick of-all-time; EXTREMITIES – taut, riveting, super-political and the role that Farah Fawcett aced; and DOMINICK&EUGENE, perhaps his best known flick among lots of others, but HUMAN ERROr was a terrific and satisfying surprise.

When did I last enjoy really nasty violence - but all with dialogue- no need for squibs; when did you last view actors give the performances of their lives? - when have we seen CGI used so effortlessly, with such masterly artistic abandon? > we haven't.

FYI Disclaimer: Last week prodded by Rave Reviews, we charged $24 to see Broken Flowers: 1st/3 cute-2nd/3 boring-3rd/3 this is it? This is it? {This movie was not a movie, it isn't a question of performance or style, but of substance. Hello.} Saturday, I read the NYT Weekend review: this reviewer is news to me, but he obviously didn't get it-and ya can sense he wasn't interested in trying-and I'll guess that he viewed the flick alone in a screening room devoid of an audience that got it and winced, laughed, and held their breath as did the crowd at the Sunshine.

Last word: You sit back and let them do their magic – if they deliver you're OK – HUMAN ERROr delivers, just sit back and let them.

I saw the film in New York on its opening day.

I found 'Human Error' to be wonderfully fresh - both visually and in terms of the complexity and texture of the relationships between the three main characters. The neuroses and petty disputes of three men caught up in 'management' is richly absurd, wildly funny and painfully human.

In collaboration with Dresser and his talented cast, director Young - who has a long career of making passionate, visceral and very human films - has delivered a film that is timely, wholly original and unlike anything you've seen.