By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 5 cats
Director: Julia Loktev
Starring: Gareth Saxe | Josh Philip Weinstein | Luisa Williams
Country: france, germany, united_states
Year: 2007
Running time: 94
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0499455/
Chris says: “SPOIERS AHEAD!
“It’s ideal to go into Julia Loktev’s remarkable debut feature not knowing anything, but it’s also damn near impossible to write about it without disclosing what it’s about. (However, basic knowledge of the plot did not seriously lessen the film’s impact for me, so proceed with caution).
“We follow a 19-year-old girl (Luisa Williams), her character only referred to as ‘She’ in the credits. She seems to be on an important mission, training to do something. We watch her receive instructions to carry out, first via phone, then from mysterious figures whose faces are sheathed in black masks. Dropped off in a hotel, She obsessively bathes every crevice of her body and recites cryptic mantras to herself.
“It (very) gradually comes into focus that She is a suicide bomber and her instructions are to self-detonate herself in a random crowd of people in congested Times Square. We never fully learn what organization She’s doing this for, or even whether its affiliation is religious, political, or other. She also seems to deliberately be a blank slate, devoid of determinable ethnicity or accent. As She reaches her final destination, the film gains intensity and insight as both She and the audience come to terms with
the complexity and consequences of what She has set out to do.
“The film’s methodical pace, muted expressiveness, abundance of close-ups and concern with one’s own fate earn the Dreyer and Bresson comparisons it has received; the influence of Iranian cinema is also felt throughout, especially in the oblique and not entirely conclusive narrative. All of these ambiguities may frustrate many viewers, but Loktev has created an original, assured, involving, uncompromising film. It may have a bare-bones style, but there’s so much going on here. 5 cats”
Beth C says: “This was a truly compelling film. I saw it in the tiny little minimax at the Coolidge Corner Theater. I was concerned at first when the room filled up with a bunch of people, many of whom bought snacks and whispered through the opening scenes. However, within a short amount of time, the room became deadly quiet. In fact, in one particular scene, the silent tension in this tiny minimax theater was palpable. I was compelled and distressed throughout the film, particularly because the filmmaker chose to portray this woman in such a way that we couldn’t help but feel something for her. What did the audience feel? I really can’t speak for the others, because I was so confused morally and emotionally, myself. This is due to the brilliance of this minimalist, open-hearted debut masterpiece! 5 cats”