I am not a big fan of films that set out to change the world in some grandiose, dramatic fashion -- they usually do not and merely end up leaving a disappointing aftertaste.
Rather, I prefer films that choose a smaller, more palatable message and impeccably deliver it.
"Trick," "Election" and now "Full Frontal," the latest from our beloved Steven Soderbergh, all come to mind.
Though one might be tempted to write "Frontal" off as too disjointed (in almost all ways), one finds that, with a little patience and a willingness to look deeper, the film provides a nice package of interesting form, fine acting and many provocative messages.
Soderbergh toys with the movie-within-a-movie idea to tell the story of a day in the life of eight Los Angeles residents.
It is hard to identify a dominant plot because the film jumps from narrative to narrative, moving back and forth between reality and glamorous Hollywood illusion, giving us a fun glimpse of a humble actress with diva-like dietary demands (Julia Roberts) before detailing an executive laying off a bland but endearing writer (David Hyde Pierce " goodbye, Niles Crane, hello, multi-layered and complex lovable loser.)
Each character of this eccentric and convincing cast deals with his or her fair share of pleasant surprises, unexpected letdowns, and totally mundane normalcy.
Thus, the film first apprises the viewer of who these people are and then explains why they do what they do (and what we are supposed to make of it).
Each cast member (Blair Underwood, Mary McCormack, David Duchovny, and others) really holds his own against the others, but while there are no weak performances there certainly are those that stand out.
Catherine Keener, still fresh after "Being John Malkovich" and playing a Human Resources VP with something to prove to the world, probably makes the most impact of everyone onscreen.
Between her uproarious "interviews" of company employees to her devastated, drunken visage when overhearing her husband's honest assessment of their marriage, one has the funniest, saddest, and most powerful performance.
Nicky Katt, a blood-drinking actor playing Hitler in a play called "The Sound and the Fuhrer," provides many uproarious scenes.
And Ms. Roberts, the movie star who "doesn't know how much money she has," provides some truly touching, sentimental moments; her character's reaction when haphazardly meeting a potential love interest is precious while challenging the public perception of such icons.
"Full Frontal" is Mr. Soderbergh's first entirely digitally shot film, and it was made in just eighteen days on a rather meager budget.
The differences in the film's texture (incredibly clear and smooth for some scenes, hazy and almost unfocused for others) are themselves used to provoke contemplation on fantasy and reality (and where the average person would rather be).
As usual, the film is very fresh and always engaging " I cannot think of a major superfluous or harmful element or useless scene. Soderbergh proves himself again as a director of intelligent vision and edgy creativity.
At its heart "Full Frontal" is playing with questions of gritty reality and Hollywood illusion (all illusion, for that matter.)
It smoothly delivers its theme regarding what is real, what is fantasy, and, most intriguing of all, how much does it matter if something is indeed fake?
The music accompanying the ending credits states over and over "do something real."
I left the theater thinking, "well, I think I shall," before realizing this film had successfully challenged my previous notions of what exactly constitutes "real."
Go see it to toss around that question yourself.
