Chemical Cut

You should watch this if you were a model and want to remember how much you hated it and it wasn't what you hoped for. I can't believe I sat through half of it.

I'll start by saying this looked like something I could watch passively, but the film was engrossing and surprising. It seemed like a hybrid of genres that I hadn't seen before, sort of a 'soft-satire' and cautionary tale for millennials. I fall into the age bracket this is targeting, I guess, but I really do think this film is relatable no matter what your age is. There are a lot of dark comedic moments, some visual transitions that are unexpected. Overall I found a lot of meaning and heart in the film and can tell a lot of time was put into this. This is very accomplished, especially as a first feature. I do hope to see more in the future from this director.

I don't think I can accurately portray through words what this film meant to me. It was an emotional ride. I really felt for the characters, it was mostly an intense emotional connection that was indescribable. I first heard of this when I was in Chicago on a trip and saw posters on the street. The posters looked really well drawn, and it was like a book: you see a GREAT IMAGE and you want to see more. I couldn't find anything for a long time, maybe two years. I found it on Amazon recently and really enjoyed this. I laughed, cried, and as a man this is rare.

I can tell you it's a very unique film I have never seen anything like this before. So, if you are into a film that will make you think about qualities of life, and better appreciate film as an art, you will very likely enjoy this. I don't know if a physical copy is available anywhere, but if there is, I want to buy one.

As an American independent film I was amazed. Most independent film that comes from America is overly abrasive and circumvents any true approach to film as an art. European film tends to be more artistic, and it might simply be a cultural thing for our film to elicit thought instead of relaying on cheap "thrills" and visual chaos. Despite the brighter lighting and taking place in California, I would classify this as my own coined term "euphoric film noir". The subtle darkness establishes an intrinsic connection to the characters without force. The greater brightness balances this, but cannot be accurately described as "light". Seeing that this is very hard to establish in any film, this is a real achievement for a first feature film. I can recommend this for the European crowd looking to find an American film that doesn't seem very American.

Wow, this is a brilliant freshman effort from Conrad, who apparently was on Top Model and decided to disillusion the rest of us with this darkly funny and disturbing portrait piece. It was both heartbreaking and hilarious at times, and truly gets under your skin if, like me, you can relate to being a naive newcomer to an industry that aggressively whitewashes its depravity.