Particles of Truth

In late June, I was fortunate enough to attend the IFP Los Angeles Film Festival. I saw many films at the festival, however only one film had promise, purpose and power. "Particles of Truth" is a cinematically poetic film, which delves into humanity's weakest yet most prevalent characteristics: self-doubt and insecurity. Rarely can a film simultaneously evoke opposing emotions of joy and depression. Nevertheless, "Particles of Truth" successfully masters this formula. Director and co-star, Jennifer Elster allowed me to search my inner self. The characters are so deep and personable; I truly felt a connection to each of their fears, flaws and hopes.

I highly recommend this film to anyone who is disgusted with Hollywood's phony and artificial portrayal of life. "Particles of Truth" is a real movie, with true characters and authentic resolution.

"Particles of Truth" is a one-woman, low budget indie which plays like one long string of trailer moments. Elsner sticks a couple of neurotic protags in front of us, asks us to care without good reason, and then proceeds to toss in anger, hate, self loathing, disgust, angst, woe, frustration, abuse, AIDS, yadayadayada, all of which all seem like excuses for drama rather than elements arising from the natural progression of a story. If you can't find something better than "Particles..." to watch, you're not trying. However, if you're an indie junkie, you may find value in this flick which did receive some positive comments from critics and all those folks who submitted comments to IMDB.com albeit suspiciously for this movie and this movie only. At this writing 64% of IMDB.com users scoring gave this film the absolute highest score, a ten, as they apparently would have us believe this film is better than "Citizen Cane" or "Gone With the Wind". Go figure. (C)

There are, it seems, prototypes for all movie genres out there: there's the teenage prototype, the romance prototype, drama, comedy, etc. The new addition to genres combines all movies under a generalization - indie - that's all-encompassing, but cheaply made.

"Particles of Truth" may be the prototype for this genre. It's got everything every other indie film professes to have: "deep" insight with cliché observations on life; bad camera work that begs for a tripod; production that demands better lighting; unheard-of music; relatively unknown actors; drugs; depressed people; funny people; trashy people; people with parent problems (esp. with the father); and the we're-weird-but-we're-really-normal-in-light-of-everyone-else main characters.

While I'm sure that some people might find "Particles" to be a careful and mind-blowing and revolutionary examination of truth, to me, it's like every other "alternative" film out there. Not only that, but its indie pretension is unbearable; the unusual camera angles that are the mark of low-budget films are irritating, and one keeps thinking, "Jesus, will somebody please stand on a table whilst holding that camera or something?" Otherwise, all the butt shots and four-foot sitting-eye-level footage really take a toll on one's patience.

I suppose that's my biggest complaint against this film: nothing about it feels original, which seems against the MO of the entire institution of indie film-making. Aren't these films, which aren't produced by big companies with big company interests, supposed to reveal something new, something that wasn't exhaustively covered by studio films like Paramount or Warner Brothers?

A very grim effort, well acted. Larry Pine, for example, gives one of many understated performances. Taj Crown is hilarious as a stoned pizza shop worker.

I commend Elster for not letting the angst-addled script and her relative inexperience go by the wayside of over-the-top performances.

I saw it on the Sundance Channel during their New Voices night. I wish Elster the best but if I had the chance to do it again-I wouldn't.

If I want to see pain, suffering, depression and agony, I'll make a movie of my own life.

It's always the same, it's very rare, yet it resides in us all. To get at it we must dig deep, very deep. Kids think it's common, they see it every day on Playstation and Gameboy, yet that version of it is cheap and distorted. The real thing almost always brings teary eyes and that choking knot in your throat.

Our dreams and high aspirations are never reached without it. Those that have used it before, find it just as hard to muster the next time. It never gets easy. It can be seen in large groups, or in the complete isolation of the most inner sanctum. It can bring joy or sorrow, fame and fortune, or rack and ruin.

This wonderful movie is an example of it itself.

cour·age n

the ability to face danger, difficulty, uncertainty, or pain without being overcome by fear or being deflected from a chosen course of action

Ray Smart Wilton, CT