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Video Review |
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Video Review |
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Last Updated 12/02/02
Email: robitai@our-town.com
“Storytelling”
You
have to be in a certain mood to enjoy "Storytelling." This Todd
Solondz film bends categories and breaks a few rules. It failed to garner much
attention at the box office, but now that it’s out in DVD and video, it should
find an audience. If you have the patience to let “Storytelling” tell its
stories, then you’ve found your evening’s entertainment.
The
credits open in a brilliant and colorful montage that sets the tone of the film
while providing a symbolic framework. It's
a movie in two parts; one entitled "Fiction," the other
"Non-fiction." The first part focuses on two college students, Vi and
Marcus (Selma Blair and Leo Fitzpatrick) who are enrolled in a creative writing
course with Mr. Scott, a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer (Robert Wisdom).
When Marcus reads his heart-felt, compellingly honest story about having
Cerebral Palsy, Scott publicly humiliates Marcus, denouncing the story as
worthless. Vi's story doesn't fair
any better.
After
an unsavory sexual encounter with Mr. Scott, Vi writes the details of the whole
sordid affair into her next story. The
lines blur between fact and fiction. The
episode ends with a good dose of irony, and Vi has the last word, but at a cost.
In
the second part "Non-fiction," Toby Oxman (Paul Giamatti) sets out to
film a documentary about teenage life. When he inadvertently happens on Scooby
Livingston (Mark Webber) smoking in the bathroom at the local high school, he's
certain that he's found the perfect subject. After confronting Scooby's parents
(John Goodman and Julie Hagerty) and receiving permission to film, Toby must
film relentlessly to find Scooby's the essence.
What does it mean to be Scooby?
A
completely shocking turn of events knocks your socks off, so don't become
complacent following Scooby's antics. Once again, irony creates textual
significance when reality hits. Is what appears to be the truth actually a
fiction? Just who exploits whom?
The
two episodes, although completely diverse in tone, plot, and character, have
common ground: exploitation, lines that blur reality and fantasy, and the nature
of narrative. The stories are both
powerful. They each have facets that pound your sensibilities and leave you
asking the inevitable question, "What does it all mean?"
"Storytelling"
is a movie that melds two plots into a well-honed whole.
Be forewarned that some scenes are painful to watch, but if your
endurance is strong, don't miss the opportunity to be spellbound by
"Storytelling."
Available
in DVD and Video
87
minutes; Rated R for strong sexual content, language and some drug use
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