I Am the Bluebird

I saw "I Am the Bluebird" at a recent private screening in LA and was thoroughly impressed with this film. There were about forty people or so, and the director was there for a Q&A afterwards. I was told that the version we saw was a new, shorter cut than the cut that screened previously, so I can't comment on what was different. I can say that the film I saw moved at a pretty brisk pace for most of its 90 minute running time. It was slow in the beginning, but that didn't bother me so much, as it felt intentional, and at times I felt the film deliberately put me in the shoes of its main character, Ethan, who is recovering from amnesia (or similar condition). He is often frustrated, and in the dark, and at times so are we as the audience. I enjoyed the journey, and it paid off nicely in the end for an emotionally satisfying ending. Well done to those involved.

Technically, I thought the cinematography and music were both great, and added immensely to the tone and emotion throughout the film. The soundtrack reminded me a little of "Garden State", which is a good thing considering that boosted that film's success, though this film's soundtrack seemed much more on the indie side.

One thing that I really did enjoy about this film that most movies (at least that I've seen) don't dive into much is medical malpractice. This film points a lot of in that direction, and I was really interested in the outcome of Ethan's discovery. Without giving anything anyway, I will say it was ultimately convincing, though a bit on the sci-fi side, but I bought it. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to watch a low-budget indie movie that forces you to think a little.

I too saw this film at the Atlanta Film Festival. Overall I enjoyed this film, but I still felt like it was a little too cryptic for its own good. It was a little hard to follow at times. There was some good and bad acting in it, but the disconnect I had was believing Robert Pralgo as the father. This was not due to a poor performance but bad casting as Robert looks far too young to have what appears to be a 25 year old son. (And an 18-21 year old daughter) For the budget they had on this, they did a good job. The script was a little vague at times and rambled some, but eventually the main mystery is finally explained. There were a few things that never made sense, like why the girlfriend had a foreign accent, but it wasn't critical. If you like to support indy films then I recommend watching this film at least once. I think all of the people involved in this film did a fair job of making an interesting film, but I am sure they will grow and do better work next time. You can see the promise in the work done here.

I saw the movie at the Atlanta Film Festival, and though it can be said the film had style and the actors gave thoughtful performances, and it was shot with relative textbook appropriate approach, it was limited in its overall potential by a tragically meandering script that left me without a clue as to what really happened both literally and metaphorically. Even within the seeming goals of the film; I guess, an exploration of existentialism, it is not enough to simply be a film, there must be cause and effect that has some shape and order.

I kept waiting for something to give me some clarity of purpose, but there was neither the expression of a goal nor an event that made even a single philosophical point. Things did happen, just as in life, but that is only okay in a documentary. In dramatic film making, especially in America, we demand a logical sense of purpose even if it is somewhat surreal, as this was.

It is sad to have to apply a number to a review, but it is with the comparison to other films with similar genre, that I can make a relative comparison. With a relatively small budget and a well written script, one can attract talent to make all else happen. Wait until that happens before making a film. Let's say "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" was a 10 and "Planet Nine From Outer Space" is a 1. "I am the Bluebird" would have to be a 4. In my mind, worth seeing for experimental value, but objectively not one I could recommend over the many choices available.