Hello my friends!
This week we’re looking at another film but this one is quite different from Diarchia, this film is a feature length movie made specifically for the internet! My, how things have changed. Directed by Sebastian Gutierrez, in an interview with Shangri-La Entertainment, Gutierrez says “We want to prove that Web distribution is a viable medium for theatrical quality movies which rely on story, characters and dialogue as opposed to special effects. For many reasons the theatrical indie landscape has changed drastically in the last few years, leaving many potential breakout hits without an audience. We are excited to break the rules of feature films by letting people watch our movies for free online”. Well said Gutierrez! So what is the mystery movie? Drum roll please…
When I first watched the film I have to admit that I was really excited about everything in it. The female characters were given important roles, the dialogue was witty and engaging, the colors in the scenes were unique and the story line was energetic. Plus, not a single penny was paid to watch it. What more can a girl ask for?
I think one of the things that made me the most excited was that (in my opinion) it passes the Bechdel test. What’s that you ask? Well, it’s a rating system that only has three criteria to get by:
1) The film has to have at least two women in it
2) Two women who talk to each other
3) Two women who talk to each other about something that isn’t a man
Check. Check. Check. I think we have a winner.
Ok, like last time I will attempt and hopefully succeed in breaking down a portion of the film or at least ask a ton of questions. Because it is a feature length film I will only focus on the first half an hour so that the post doesn’t become a 10 page paper.
*I will attempt to not spoil the movie. I’ll try really hard. But you can always go watch it and then finish reading the post, that way I won’t have to try as hard 😉
The beginning dialogue between Francine (Carla Gugino) and Nick (Zachary Quinto) is great, it sets up the rest of the movie not only with the style but it plops you down in the middle of the action and it isn’t hard to pick up what’s going on. I sometimes find myself missing what’s going on when trying to catch up with the background info but I didn’t need to with this film. I would like to ask who do you think held the control in this scene? Notice the way Francine presents herself and how she sits; upright with her attention directed at Nick, hands on the table with authority and she makes eye contact the whole time. Nick on the other hand is slouching and his hands are in his lap. Granted his situation would make him more on edge and it his character is physically portraying that, but it’s worth noting that the first scene is with the woman in control.
Throughout the movie I noticed that the women sit normally with a hint of masculinity. Especially in the first scene with Camilla (Amber Valletta) and Dodge (Robert Forster) (31:05), she is feminine but sits with confidence; it isn’t just Dodge who commands attention.
Another element I would like to make note of is that there are a variety of female characters, from assassin to stripper, yet they all hold their own. Teresa (Emmanuelle Chriqui) plays a sexualized female in a stereotypical submissive female role, yet at 13:05 she stops time and points out the men for who they are. She is in complete control of her situation and her character flips the stereotype of submissive to ring leader.
During the first half an hour (Ok, more like 35 minutes) the men always seemed to play secondary characters. In the scene with Aldo (Danny Devito) and Nick, Aldo brings up his wife and then says “I trust my wife implicitly on all matters”. Nick’s situation is centered around his wife, and Dodge talks about his strong willed daughter. The men seem to only talk about women. And then we have the stereotypical male who keeps harassing the girls 27:36-29:27. In that same scene with Francine, Kim (Alexis Bledel), Loretta (Michelle Ryan), Kim says “I prefer to be a muse than to be amusing” yet her character holds a conversation with Francine that I believe helps push this film to winning the Bechdel test.
Due to the multiple story lines, I liked how the scenes would switch with a fade to black, I think it made the change easier to follow. I also really enjoyed the vintage feel the film had, as well as the way it was shot. The camera was usually always at eye level with the women and even though some had stereotypical female roles, I felt that the characters could worked both the feminine and power in a respectable way.
My challenge to you is to finish up this post and head on over to YouTube to watch Girl Walks Into A Bar, it really is a great film. Take a look at what was pointed out in the post and breakdown other sections on your own. I think that this film is only the beginning of a internet film era, and its exciting to be apart of it.
Filmernet 