I can’t really say that I loved this film… or that it’s a great movie. Actually, I barely even liked it. The acting was pretty sub-par and the characters were almost impossible to relate to. A lot of the story was hard to follow and the rest was hard to care about following……. What I’m trying to say, is that I highly recommend this film… Are you rushing out to buy it yet? I wonder what part of this review will be quoted on the poster……. Maybe I should just end this review here. I mean… are you even still reading this???? No, I wasn’t talking to you. I know you’re cool. Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, I was telling all of you to go watch this mediocre movie. The truth is that for all of its faults, there is something so right about this film. Digital filmmaking, for me has always been something that I’ve considered to be somewhat of a necessary evil for independent cinema. The cameras are lighter, cheaper and easier to use and the video is simpler to edit. The digital age helps keep the overhead of a film manageable; allowing many more artists the opportunity for their voices to be heard. All of this being said: I still prefer the look of film. Film looks cinematic. So, in spite of all of its advantages, digital is still just a great way for an artist on a budget to be able to feasibly capture the images he wants.
Evan Glodell’s film flies in the face of this sentiment. He is not just using the format on a technical level as a more practical means to an end. Bellflower is actually the best example I’ve seen of a filmmaker embracing the format on an artistic level. The gadgetry involved in the plot of the film stems from the handmade tinkering Glodell did on the cameras he made for the film. He actually fabricated two cameras including his Coatwolf Model II. This is a camera he created using the image capturing from Silicone Imaging SI-2K digital camera and adding a bunch of fitting and homemade lens adapters to it.
The film also includes a flamethrower that Glodell says he built for about $60 worth of Home Depot stuff and a Buick Skylark named Medusa (which also throws fire). This film is one crying Sandra Bullock short of being Jesse James’ wet dream (and possibly an Oscar contender). Unfortunately, this film’s problems are much less complicated than the mechanics involved in making it. This film, quite simply has no likeable characters to speak of. They’re not even all that interesting. And when your characters are not interesting or likeable, there is no empathy. And when the audience lacks empathy, the plot has no weight. And blah, blah, blah… I’m not going into Storytelling 101 for everyone here. I think you get the point.
In summary, this film works on a very specific level. And its that level that inspires people like me want to make films not so much like this one; even if the making of this film is better than the actual film. Hell, I’d even watch the making of the making of this film.
