Pearblossom Hwy

Saw this film in Wroclaw Poland in October and it started with Cory, one of the lead characters looking directly into the camera and giving a real strange monologue about his life. Much of the film seems to deal with Cory's sexuality in a documentary kinda way. The other protagonists are an immigrant who is selling sex to make money to get back to Japan, and Cory's homophobic brother, a former military guy who's moved back to town after the war. Many nods to french new wave filmmakers, also the director uses things from actors' real lives, so we are never sure if we are watching constructed reality or director's thoughts or something different all together.

In Q and A he said that much of film was written around the actors experience, so there was a mixture of documentary and fiction overall. I found the doc stuff less interesting, still, the film has a wholly original texture, and that cannot be faked. Definitely not for everyone though.

This film exploits is subjects in every possible way. Without a doubt Cory Zacharia is exploited the most with the directors use of absolute manipulation on his ethos, emotions, mental state. Using characters in this way is a gross misuse of power and something only a vainglorious smug art world snob would beget. Oh but wait, its in the name of art, wow oh wow, I FORGOT. self-righteousness prevails.

America has an abundance of better stories to be unearthed. Not like this. This one should be flushed and any critic who supports it have good reason to be ashamed. Reading the reviews give me reason to pause and question your morality and ethics. Do not waste your time or give money to the makers of this film.

Ott tries to work with a non-actor subject of his in Pearblossom Hwy. kind of mixing narrative with documentary... as a final piece it certainly stands more on the narrative side. an attempt at creating a authentic story that gives a glimpse into a subset of California youth.

all characters except Cory character come off as completely contrived (atsuko) or a complete cliché (cory's brother and father). Ott loses his interesting character when he interjects his own scripted details and characters.

its disheartening to see this film screened at SFIFF because im sure there were plenty of great films turned down for this film that had plenty of political pull. makes me think i wont be returning to SFIFF