Why would someone want to be in a wheelchair? This is the central question asked, explored but perhaps not answered in this very spare and taut psychological mystery story by first time director Carlos Brooks from his own original story.
Nick Stahl, of Terminator 3 fame, plays Isaac Knott, young parapalegic journalist who, while investigating a report of a man who demanded that a physician remove his healthy leg is led to a group who wish to be like him. That is, although they are able bodied they come together around the desire to be disabled. We discover, along with Isaac, that they secretly use their wheel chairs much like many transvestites who secretly don the outward appearance of another gender. At a group meeting, we hear about their tortured experiences: alienating loved ones with their obessions while looking for methods to inflict paralysis on themselves and thus fulfill their true desire or, as they see it, destiny. Along the way Isaac finds, or is found by, Fiona (Vera Farmiga) a freelance art preservationist, played with achingly, truthful insanity and from there it’s down the rabbit hole together.
Since it’s the rabbit hole, it’s not at all clear where Isaac is going or where he’ll wind up. Thus we move from the security of the investigative mystery with it’s promised tidy resolution to a dreamlike odyssey that ultimately leaves us with more questions than answers. Since we, the audience, are very securely in the subject position of Nick this sudden change could be jarring but is handled smoothly, mostly likely because the writer is also the director and therefore has a unique perspective on what could have been very confusing material.
This is blessedly small, short (in terms of running time) film, yet a film crafted very carefully. Although shot on HD, the Director of Photography, Michael McDonough, worked very carefully with Brooks to create as much of a filmic feel as possible. This effectively sustains the haunting, dreamlike quality of the story. Yet since the film supplies enough clues as well as active camera movement our interest never wanes, we want to keep watching, unsure of where we will wind up. As indicated above, the promised “ending” never really comes, at least not in the mystery story way. I always refrain from the term Hitchcockian since it is misused and overused to the extent that it has become meaningless. To the extent that we are left with an unsatisfying and even creepy ending to what turns out to not be a mystery at all, the comparison is apt. And that’s a complement from someone who thinks Vertigo is a masterpiece.
Opens June 13, 2008.
Written and directed by Carlos Brooks; director of photography, Michael McDonough; edited by Lauren Zuckerman and Charles Ireland; music by Mark Mothersbaugh; produced by Sarah Pillsbury and Midge Sanford; executive produced by Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban. Released by Magnolia Pictures. Running time: 82 minutes.
With: Nick Stahl (Isaac Knott), Vera Farmiga (Fiona), James Frain (Father Dave), Aimee Mullins (Raine) and Phil LaMarr (Wannabe Group Leader.) |
