The Tracey Fragments

I saw this movie at the Berlin Film Festival and did not know nothing about it before. There will be people that will call this a "masterpiece" or "pure art", and there will be a lot more people that will call this "bullshit". I wouldn't argue with neither of them. If you want to enjoy this movie, you will have to buy every idea the director came up with, otherwise you will want to leave the cinema. At every moment of the movie, the picture is split up into lots of little pictures, often showing the same scene from different camera angles. This can be exhausting at times, but it can also be very exciting.

You suddenly realize that you as a member of the audience are part of the film-making process. You are the one to edit to movie, to decide whether you want the see the long or the close shot. I found this a very interesting approach to the process of making a movie. But still, sometimes the film seems to be so random, trying hard to be special and smart. You might have to watch it a second time to really check if there's is a kind of inner logic to every scene. The movie has great moments and is full of original ideas, though sometimes it is only original for the purpose of being original and nothing else. Apart from the interesting picture language, I have to mention the gorgeous Ellen Page, who is - ultimately - THE most talented young actress there is today. I'm looking forward to her future projects.

I just saw the world premiere of this film at the Berlin Film Festival and I was quite surprised. When I got the tickets I had no idea what it was actually about. When I was told it was about a 15-year old girl dealing with puberty I wasn't very happy about it. But then what I saw surprised me. During the first 2 minutes I prepared myself for two hours of overdone artistic cinema. But after some time, I got into it and even got attached to the girl who everybody just calls "Its". However, according to the director, this film may have been shot in only 14 days but, it took them about nine months to edit it. No wonder, since the director Bruce McDonald took the "Fragment"-part of the title by word. The film consists of hundreds of fragments of pictures, each showing different perspectives of the same moment mixing up reality and thoughts and fantasies of Tracy, the 15-year old protagonist. There are only rare scenes in which there are less then 3 fragments to be seen on screen. And the more emotional the protagonist gets, the more fragments appear. So, thus confusing you with just too much information it leaves you overwhelmed with impressions and emotions that are just too plenteous to handle. Off course, McDonald did this on purpose. It's all just a try to visualize what a teen must have to go through in puberty. After a while you get sucked into a world of bullies, disturbed parents, unanswered love, doubts and fantasies, sympathizing more and more with Tracy. Even though it was exhausting to pay attention all the time, I'd say the film is worth seeing (if you have the stamina). I have seen a lot of movies but this one was actually something new. Well, it may be exhausting but when you think of it, wasn't puberty too?!

overall, i found the movie quite entertaining and emotional. while a bit confusing at times, i feel that it added to the overall effect of the movie. the closing scene with Tracey (ellen page) walking through the park was much more powerful because there was only the single shot and the screen was no longer fragmented. i feel the fragmentation throughout created the feeling of confusion and panic common to adolescence. by far my favorite part of the movie was broken social scene's original score. it blended seamlessly throughout the movie and effectively directed the audience emotionally and visually.

i would recommend this movie to anyone. it is worth the confusing, scattered scenes and story line. it really takes you on a journey with the main character.

This is an odd film. I like it, and still I can't think of it as a masterpiece.

At first glance, the picture may seem annoyingly pretentious due to its very original picture composition.

And in some ways it IS annoying. But the amazing thing is: it works pretty well. It really does compose the delicate, mysterious tune, which is the nerve of this fine movie.

Some people might think that The Tracey Fragments would benefit from a more explicit epic narrative. But the artistic mist is also the movie's strength, and I certainly did enjoy this mystery. So, give it a chance even if you're a bit amazed by all the flashing frames. It's actually possible to follow the storyline, even if the intentional non-clarity of this flick is not mastered completely.

Having said all that: Ellen Page as Tracey is a very very good choice!

The Tracey Fragments is a wonderful movie which everyone should all see for the experience. Most of the movie is split between three or more different camera angles. This allows the viewer to watch the movie in many different perspectives. Where this can be confusing at times, I found it wonderful and unique! I had such a blast watching this movie and trying to see every frame at least once.

The beginning of the movie will leave your head spinning for a good 20-30 minutes. Picture an empty time-line and as the movie progresses, you get to know a little from the beginning, a little from the end, a little of the middle, and repeat it until the movie finishes. It's bizarre but an experience.

One great portion of the film are the little scenes when you get dumped into Tracey's fantasy world. Sometimes you can tell it's a fantasy and sometimes you cannot. However, this then leads the viewer to wonder if future scenes are real or just a fantasy.

The highlight of the film, in my opinion, is Tracey's 'back of the bus' confessions. Throughout the movie, Tracey will pop in the movie, dressed in a shower curtain, and give a little hint or just some insight into her somewhat confused mind. It gives you a short break from the non-linear chaos of the film and sometimes will give you a chuckle.

All in all, Ellen Page yet again shows how great of an actor she really is. Her acting in this movie blows Hard Candy and Juno out of the water! The movie is all about her and I don't believe that there isn't a scene without her. I find this great because you can truly focus on the main character and her story, rather than any subplots or supporting character development. The Tracey Fragments is a must see film!!