Full Frontal
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Movie Reviews of Full Frontal
Movie Review: Yes, I love movies about people who love movies...
Summary: 5 Stars
If you want to see stripped-down (no pun intended) performances fro m some of today's best actors, this is the movie. Soderbergh gets out of the way and lets the actors shine. Don't try to sort out the plot, just sit back for a peek at the truly bizarre underbelly of what everyone outside of Hollywood assumes is a glamourous profession.Movie Review: Try replacing your 'but's with 'and's...
Summary: 5 Stars
Coleman Hough's words are witty and incisive, and delivered with brilliance by the strong actors in this piece. I couldn't get enough of David Hyde Pierce's character, and the Hitler scenes are ridiculous. I felt like a fly on the wall during filming of a movie, especially during the scenes in Julia Roberts' characters' trailer.Movie Review: funny and unusual
Summary: 5 Stars
This was an interesting a strange looking film, but entertaining. At first it was hard to understand what was happening but then it all came together. The acting is very good.Movie Review: Soderberg's take on neo-realism
Summary: 4 Stars
Judging from all the negative reviews, I'm guess this film attracted a lot of mainstream viewers who enjoy Soderberg's other films like "Ocean's 11" and "Traffic". That's not really the intended audience and I can understand their frustration. However, much of the criticism heaved at this film is due mostly to a misunderstanding of how to view it.
My best example is in the acting. I've heard so many complaints that the acting is horrible. It's not horrible - it's just a different style. An improvisatory, more natural style. One usually finds this type of acting in Dogma 95 films (think Lars Von Trier). It feels unrehearsed and has an immediacy that is quite appealing, if you know what you're looking at. If you're seeing major stars and their acting is different than in their other films, that's only because Soderberg's whole approach is different on this project. He creates the situations with an outline of character motivation. From there, the actors create the characters, in great depth.
The story is another point of contention. Anyone disappointed in the supposed lack of a narrative was looking for something that just wasn't there. The film is episodic, much like Fellini's "La Dolce Vita." It's really about the characters, their lives, and their struggles. There isn't a major "goal", there isn't a beginning or an end, and we never reach any sort of closure. There are small stories happening throughout the film and they do have a beginning, middle, and end; but overall, it's a brief look at a wide variety of individuals - some interesting, some not. One of the most clever parts of the film is the love story, which Soderberg immediately identifies as a film within a film. It's his cynical way of pointing out that the masses want a love story in their film. Well, he gives us one, but he also points out that it is completely contrived and false.
I find these characters completely fascinating. The acting is just incredibly real and raw. Soderberg's direction is top notch and reminds me just how great of a filmmaker he really is. It's easy to consider him a mainstream hack when he releases multiple "Ocean" films, but he's brilliant.
As one can tell by reading all the one-star reviews, this film is not for everyone. It's not technically "experimental" because this style is well precedented, but to those unfamiliar with neorealism or Dogma 95 films, it might as well be avant garde. If I could offer one piece of advice, it would be to shed your expectations of how a film functions. You'll just be disappointed. Try to enjoy just watching the characters without trying to form detailed connections between them. The scenes are really just brief episodes that serve to show us the characters and they don't necessarily form a teleological progression from A to Z.
Finally, a word on the craftsmanship. Soderberg filmed most of this in digital video, so it doesn't have the same richness as film. This is fairly typical with this sort of realist film. Directors in this style often like to travel light, so the film crew is unobtrusive and extremely flexible. On a few occasions, Soderberg does switch to film, but it's for the film-within-a-film, and the dramatic change in look clues us into what we're watching
To a minority, this will be a great and rewarding film, full of detailed, nuanced performances. For many, it will be frustrating and tedious, so long as we insist on trying to make it into a regular film. It's worth watching, but keep only the expectation of seeing something 'different.'
Movie Review: Small Gem From Soderbergh
Summary: 4 Stars
Full Frontal is a difficult movie to watch and to fully understand on its first viewing. With patience and careful listening this movie opens outward like an onion as layer upon layer begins to emerge. This is the movie quotes Soderbergh that Woody Allen would have made if he moved west and dropped a lot of acid. That may or may not be the case.What Full Frontal is is a carefully crafted exploration of Hollywood relationships. In its format it reminded me a little of Robert Altman's Short Cuts in that we have multiple storylines with the same characters. Also we have a movie within a movie within yet another movie. If this all sounds confusing it is. But go along with the premise and it becomes enjoyable.
This is a fine ensemble piece with some of Hollywood's biggest stars: Julia Roberts, Blair Underwood, David Hyde Pierce,Catherine Keener, and Mary McCormack. The film , or rather multiple films chronicle the relationships between the characters leading up to the 40th birthday of movie producer, Gus Delario (David Duchovny).
The film shot both in 35mm and grainy DV presents challenges to its viewers and may be one of the more intelligent films of last year and is well worth a viewing or two.
The DVD presents the film and a large group of extras tht really add to the presentation. There are the usual director and screenwriter commentaries, on camera in character interviews with the cast, deleted scenes, spy cam shots and an interview ith Soderbergh. Check this one out its worth it.