GUY

UK, 1996, 95 minutes, Colour.
Vincent D'Onofrio, Hope Davis.
Directed by Michael Lindsay- Hogg.

Guy is something of an experimental film. The plot concerns an anonymous woman behind the camera making a documentary by following an initial stranger in all the details of his day by day life, public, private. The woman is mostly heard rather than seen, although she is seen in a few sequences at the end and is played by Hope Davis.

There is an ambiguity about the name of the hero, Guy, an ordinary guy, perhaps a 20th-century ordinary Every man, played by Vincent D'Onofrio? who had made an impact in Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket as the put upon recruit and who was to appear 20 years later as one of the new Magnificent Seven, with a very strong screen career in between.

The film raises all kinds of questions about observing, privacy, invasions of privacy, the effect of being closely observed, the issues of how intimate the photography should be, a scene of Guy relieving himself, a sexual encounter with his girlfriend.

The main point of the film is that the audience has to identify with the woman, sharing her camera point of view, the audience observing guy, looking at him, listening to him, listening to the dialogue with his objections to what is happening, his changing his mind, the relationship to the woman and the kind of intimacy that her documentary filmmaking creates.

The films directed by director, Michael Lindsay Hogg, prolilfic television director whose films include Nasty Habits and The Object of Beauty.

1. The title, a generic title, the particular Guy, any guy in the street, a 20th century ordinary Everyman figure?

2. The Los Angeles settings, the busy streets, homes and apartments, restaurants, driving in the car? The musical score?

3. The premise of the film, the woman and her documentary, filming her subjects, continually with them, in every circumstance, invasion of privacy, the prurient city?

4. The opening, the detective talking to camera, his investigation, his return at the end of the film, his inability to find guy?

5. The personality of the woman, behind her camera, hearing her speak, the situation in which she put herself, her insistence and persistence, filming Guy, his business associates, his girlfriend, the previous subject of her film? Very few glimpses of her as a person? A character revealed by the film, her determination, not wanting to be involved, detachment, the change in perspective over the film?

6. Guy, ordinary, a man in the street, his appearance, manner of speaking, clothes and style? His reaction to the woman, confronting her, running away, the reaction to her continued pursuit, her being in the car with him, going home, invading his house, coming out of the shower and his surprise, travelling with her, arguing with her? His condemnations, wanting her gone? His reaction to her persistence?

7. Meeting the business partner, relationship with her, her reaction to the film? The client, his job in seeking out cars for remodelling, the client not wanting to be filmed, not wanting the deal? His encounter with his partner, phoning him, the arguments, the partner and his reaction to the filming? Later going to the house, Guy losing his job?

8. The discussions about privacy, relationships, going to his girlfriend, the woman and her wanting to film Guy and the girl, his wearing the microphone, the discovery, the explanations? The girl, talking with the woman, the agreement about the sexual behaviour, her ordering Guy out of the house?

9. The discussions about the effect of being watched so intensely, with the camera, a perspective and the feeling of being observed? The effect on Guy, a certain attachment to the woman? Discussion about sexuality? Her backing off?

10. Guy, final exasperation, the effect on him of the relationship? Disappearing?

11. The sequence with Mark in the street, the past film, his attachment to the woman, her sending him away?

12. The irony of his photographing the woman, her comments, his anonymity? Her life being observed?

13. The effect for the audience? The audience becoming the woman and her point of view, the perspectives on Guy, observing, listening to him, dialogue with him?