FULL FRONTAL
US, 2002, 111 minutes, Colour.
David Duchovny, Nicky Katt, Catherine Keener, Mary Mc Cormack, David Hyde Pierce, Julia Roberts, Blair Underwood, Enrico Colantoni, Erika Alexander, Tracy Vilar, Brandon Kina, Brad Rowe, David Fincher, Sandra Oh.
Directed by Steven Soderbergh.
Every so often director Steven Soderbergh makes an 'alternate' film, one that is smaller budget and experimental in style. Traffic combined both these trends and he was rewarded with a best director Oscar. After the popular entertainment of Ocean's Eleven, he has gone out with a $4000 digital video camera, asked many of his friends to be available for eighteen days of filming and asked them to work creatively and with some improvisation with the screenplay. The result is Full Frontal, a portrait of several Hollywood, Los Angeles characters over one day which is to culminate in the 40th birthday party for a prominent director.
One would like to applaud the result while applauding the adventurousness in idiosyncratic film-making. However, with a number of video based films, you have to peer at them in order to see them. So it is here for many sequences. Because the film within this film has been shot on film, it is more traditional but you can see it!
The other trouble is that the characters are not always very interesting in themselves. What holds the interest is what the cast do with their characters. Especially good are David Hyde Pierce, cast against his Frazier type, as an LA agent and screenwriter whose marriage could fall apart. Catherine Keener is also very good as his confused wife, also turning forty. David Duchovny does not have to do so much as the producer but he has some good, provocative scenes with Mary McCormack? as a masseur. The tantalising part is that we are first introduced to the film within the film, Rendezvous, with all its fictitious credits. Julia Roberts and Blair Underwood are the stars of the film - and then we see them portraying the actors off-screen, with Julia Roberts giving a particularly interesting double performance.
Marks for initiative but not as engrossing as it might have been.
1. The work of Steven Soderbergh, big budget, small budget, experimental? The use of video for most of the film, natural lighting? The use of film for the film within a film? The overall effect as a cinematic experience?
2. The New York and Los Angeles settings, the hotel, the studios, the theatre, the streets, the homes? An authentic atmosphere for these characters and plot? The musical score, the songs?
3. The film within a film, Rendezvous, the initial credits, the sequence on the plane, Katherine and her interviewing Nicholas, his character, actor, black actor, the opportunities? Katherine and her curiosity? The other passengers on the plane (including Terence Stamp)? The build-up of a plot, for their interaction and further meetings? The arrival in Los Angeles, the discussions with the producer, with Miramax? The further sequences of the film, the relationship between Nicholas and Katherine? The significance of the letter and Nicholas's reading it out, whether Katherine wrote it or not? The scenes in Los Angeles, the build-up of tension, the final meeting again in New York? The quality or not of the film?
4. Francesca and Calvin as popular stars, seeing them come off the set, their lives in Los Angeles? Calvin, self-confidence, the sexual relationship with Lee (and the way that it was filmed, blurred, then clear)? Their fight and break-up, the alienation at later meetings? Calvin and his other relationships, at Gus's party, MC, telling the story, the meeting with Lucy, a future with her? Katherine and her work, her assistant, her lunch? The party and meeting Sam Osborne, flattered, then the possibility of a relationship, on what basis?
5. Carl and Lee, at home, nightmares, the dog? Lee and her writing the letter for the separation, hiding it? The irony of the dog eating the biscuits with the hash in them and Carl not seeing the letter? Lee and her road rage, impatience, getting to work, the clients and flirting with them, demanding, the globe and the countries of Africa? Her relationship with Calvin and her anger? Meeting Linda, her lies? Going home, hearing Carl talking to the vet? Carl, at home, dithering, age? Going to work, his interviewing porn stars? His own writing, collaboration with Artie? Going home, the dog, the phone call? The reconciliation with Lee?
6. Linda, her work as a masseur, going to the hotel, massaging Gus, the erection, his proposal, the money? Her hesitations? Taking the extra money? Going and buying the new dress? Her discovering his body and getting Lee, their having to cope? Gus as the producer, his 40th birthday, arrogance, preparations for the party? His gift to Linda?
7. Artie, his play, the actor portraying Hitler, lack of confidence, the humorous aspects of modernising Hitler's story with the mobile phones etc? Nerves, arguments in rehearsal, the patrons arriving, the performance and his success? Artie and lying about himself for the dating agency, preparing to go to Tucson? Linda and her talking about going to Tucson, lowering her age? Ironically meeting Artie at the airport, their clicking, in the plane, the success of their weekend together?
8. The effect of the initial interviews with their photos, relationship to Gus and his party, their explanations of themselves? The continuity with how they appeared during the film?
9. The resolution: Artie and Linda and the future for them, Carl and Lee and the reconciliation, Gus and his death? Francesca and Calvin and their careers and relationships?
10. The quality of the performances with the actors doing their thing? The serious/triviality of their lives, experiences and relationships? The humorous reference to other films, to film stars, to Brad Pitt in the magazines and his cameo appearances? Miramax and presence of the Weinsteins? An entertainment, a glimpse of contemporary characters?
