EVERYTHING STRANGE AND NEW
US, 2009, 84 minutes, Colour.
Jerry Mc Daniel, Beth Lisick, Rigo Chacon Jr, Luis Saguar.
Directed by Fraser Bradshaw.
Everything Strange and New is a brief experimental and independent film. Its director, Fraser Bradshaw, is a cinematographer and editor.
The film is set in Oakland, California, showing the ordinary suburbs, building sites, homes, bars. It also is the work of a photographer, focusing on the framing of all the scenes, especially the exteriors. The film opens with a succession of shots of Oakland and its roofs and streets. In this context, Wayne (Jerry Mc Daniel) is a middle-aged builder who is in a marriage with two children. He is having some kind of crisis about the meaning of his life, even though he does good work, loves his wife and children. The crisis is aggravated by his best friends, one of whom goes through a divorce – and then is suddenly shot by his ex-wife who then kills herself. The other, the boss, is taking cocaine – and when confronted by Wayne, stops and thanks him for saving his life.
The film is slow-moving, attentive to detail – giving the audience a lot of time to consider the continuous voice-over that Wayne provides, describing what has happened in the past, describing his feelings and uncertainties in the present. The film ends with him coming into his home, listening to his wife and the children – with the possibilities of going in or, in fact, going out again.
1.The independent experimental style? The impact for ordinary audiences, for specialist audiences?
2.The bright photography, suburbia, homes and streets, building sites, the bars? Realistic settings? Yet stylised in their presentation, framing, long-running shots? The inserted photos of the husbands and wives and families? The musical score?
3.The film as dialogue-driven, Wayne’s voice-over, honest, confidential, observing himself, asking questions?
4.The title and Wayne’s perspective?
5.Wayne and his age, the introduction, Oakland, the suburbs, his street, home from the outside, inside? The building site and the work? His construction work and his story? His meeting Renee, Leo’s help, their talking, not, her phone call, going out, together, happy, the sexual relationship, marrying, her pregnancy, the son and its effect on their lives, the second pregnancy, the change in their lifestyle, responsibilities? The years together? Talking, arguing, loving each other? At meals, in the bedroom? Difficulties – and the future?
6.Wayne and his work, Manny and his taking the drug, work, in the bus going home, the shouting at home, the meals, the kids and their homework, watching television and reading while they watched? Renee and her cooking, talking, the routines?
7.The phone call from his mother, her cancer, Renee upset, urging that he should go, the plan for his visit to the hospital?
8.Talking to Leo, Leo and his life, years of marriage, wife, son, the nerviness of his wife, the counsellor? The divorce? Drinks with Leo, sharing, with Manny? Renee not liking Leo, blaming her for the divorce? Leo and his talking about the girl, the video, pornography, watching it, the sexual behaviour with Wayne? His comments about it? Leo’s phone call? Wayne ignoring it? The news about the shooting and the boy finding his father’s and mother’s bodies?
9.Manny, marriage, wife, happy, his character, work, his common sense, taking the cocaine, excusing himself, recreational? Wayne seeing the dealers, finding Manny in the car, Manny’s reaction? The party and his behaviour, Wayne stopping him – and Manny glad that Wayne had changed his life?
10.Wayne and Renee, the tensions, talking, the aggression, the apologies? Love and tolerance?
11.The years passing, Wayne’s questions, consequences? Coming in the door, listening to the talk, the possibility of going out again?
12.Themes of existential crisis, a perspective of an ordinary man on his life and its meaning?
