georgebobolink

Rehearsals is a hard one to categorize. A long series of mostly static shots focusing on a succession of actresses, it attempts to draw the viewer in by reflecting on a series of minutia that surround their daily rituals and routines. The film is told mostly in silence, with the first instance of speaking arriving nearly at the film's halfway point.

Rehearsal's narrative as explained in the synopsis never really comes into focus. The 16 actresses never coalesce into a single character, or even an amalgamated one. Instead there's the distinct feelings of 16 different women doing their natural routines, such as sleeping, texting, primping, eating, worrying, drawing, etc.

We're invited to observe, watching these rituals and tasks with fresh eyes and read into each character through mostly their settings and behavior rather than any narrative momentum. It can be wearying, but surprisingly revelatory-- one woman making her bed is awash in fascinating little details that allow you to read a history in simply her room and methods, while another woman attending her nails and her dog is understated in its gentleness.

I won't lie and say that the movie is a thrill ride by any means. This is probably the most esoteric porn I've ever seen. Clarke both fetishizes each actress in pieces-- breasts, legs, hinder-- and then reconnects them into distinctly unsexual poses. This is contrasted to their mutual desire to become actresses, a glamorous profession distinctly unreal compared to their frustrated daily lives.

The women in this film aren't lonely, per se, but distinctly alone. Despite the multitude of actresses, that and a sense of ambition does permeate most, as well as the feeling of impatience. Rehearsals may be an unsuccessful experiment and is definitely not for anyone with a twitchy attention span, but for viewers who like to lap up subtleties told with an expressive lens, it's an intriguing treat.

In the wide realm of weekly web comedies, few were as consistently demented and funny as Chickleberry Jam (the silly name withstanding). Maddie, domineering but exotic, Donnelle, coy but clever, Dan, handsome and mighty, and Jeff all stress the absurdities of modern living, from brutal drug habits to political mudslinging. It's a wonder that all of these actors don't hate each other enormously every day after the filming is completed as each compete for punchlines in a brutal, eye gouging sort of manner, where they choke upon the fecal matter of each other's sly witticisms as they evolve into human shells broken of all notions of dignity and joy. None emerges truly victorious, with the show's final seconds encompassing both the triumph and wonder inherent in an endless game of one-upmanship, with the survivors crying tears of both shame and wonder-- happy to be alive, yes, but happier still to never again have to gaze upon the desecrated corpses of those who once called themselves friend. This show is a dire warning to all of those... who... uh... I think I started talking about Game of Thrones again. No, this show's hilarious and it's free on YouTube. Check it out.

A Forrest Gump-esque movie about a mentally slow man who sneaks into America and finds it surprisingly hostile to illegal immigrants who steal and demand instant gratification. He's instantly preyed upon by interests-- unscrupulous businesses, mainly-- and endures this under the hope that he'll hit the jackpot. The film attempts many broad, satirical swipes, and, while justified, they're delivered with little subtlety or craft.

The film is well made outside of a few exceptions where the film's low budget becomes apparent. The film's climactic helicopter... chase? is painfully ugly, though I suppose its wretched look may be a semi-satirical take on the American audience's need to be satisfied by special effects. But, considering the quality of the rest of the movie, I'm going to guess that its figurative 'beauty' is only skin deep The film's trivia page lists it as being the brainchild of two high schoolers. I'm surprised it was so few.