InsideOut 2008 - UPDATE #2
Searching 4 Sandeep
Directed by Poppy Stockell
AUSTRALIA/56 MINUTES
Searching 4 Sandeep is an affable yet uneven documentary revolving around Australian lesbian Poppy Stockell's efforts at meeting and eventually sustaining a relationship with a Brit named Sandeep Virdi. Stockell and Virdi, whose coupling has its origins on a internet dating site, seem to possess genuine chemistry with one another, although - in addition to the distance separating them - the two must contend with the vast differences in their respective backgrounds (something that proves to be particularly problematic for Stockell, as Virdi still hasn't come out of the closet to her conservative parents). Filmed almost entirely from Stockell's perspective, Searching 4 Sandeep generally comes off as a likeable piece of work that sporadically bears a home-video feel - though the first-time filmmaker does a surprisingly adept job at infusing the proceedings with a distinctly cinematic sensibility (a vibe that's sure assisted by Abigail Hatherley's strong score). Despite the pronounced emphasis on Stockell's shenanigans, however, there's little doubt that it's Virdi's crumbling relationship with her parents that forms the movie's emotional core (ie she's basically forced to choose between Stockell and her family). The end result is an admittedly slight piece of work that primarily stands as an intriguing look at both the contemporary internet dating scene and the struggles that remain for certain gay folks, with both Stockell and Virdi inevitably establishing themselves as sympathetic figures that are undoubtedly worthy of the viewer's continuing (and rooting) interest.
out of
I Think We're Alone Now
Directed by Sean Donnelly
USA/70 MINUTES
I Think We're Alone Now marks documentarian Sean Donnelly's attempt at delving deep into the minds of two thoroughly disturbed individuals, with both of the movie's subjects obsessed with pop singer Tiffany to an undeniably unhealthy degree. And while there's little doubt that the filmmaker has succeeded in offering up a chilling portrait of extreme obsession, it does become increasingly difficult to stomach Donnelly's unrelentingly bleak modus operandi (something that would, admittedly, seem to be the point). Jeff Turner is a 50-something Asperger's syndrome sufferer who's been a follower of Tiffany and her music since the late '80s, while the fiery-haired popstar would appear to be the one bright spot within 38-year-old hermaphrodite Kelly McCormick's exceedingly tortured existence. As becomes evident almost immediately, I Think We're Alone Now is only tangentially about Turner and McCormick's irrational preoccupation with Tiffany; Donnelly instead emphasizes both individuals' day-to-day struggles and their respective efforts to make a single meaningful connection with another human being (which ultimately proves impossible for Turner, as he's convinced that Tiffany is sending him psychic signals regarding her love for him). It's certainly difficult to deny the film's effectiveness as an eye-opening (and uncomfortable, to be sure) look at insanity in its purist form, yet there's simply not a whole lot here that's been designed to hold the interest of the average viewer (psych students and sociologists may find something here worth embracing, however).
out of
Love Songs
Directed by Christophe Honoré
FRANCE/100 MINUTES
There's little doubt that Love Songs' reliance on mind-bogglingly ineffective musical numbers inevitably triggers its downfall, as the inclusion of such interludes ultimately ensures that the film's few moments of honesty are essentially rendered moot. This is despite a relatively promising opening half hour in which writer/director Christophe Honoré establishes a trio of genuinely affecting characters, with the thin storyline revolving around the efforts of a couple (Louis Garrel's Ismael and Ludivine Sagnier's Julie) to include a third party (Chiara Mastroianni's Jeanne) within their relationship. Honoré does a nice job of initially peppering the proceedings with unexpectedly authentic sequences (ie Julie frankly explains the mechanics of her arrangement with Ismael and Jeanne to her mother), yet there does reach a point at which the movie's emotional resonance is slowly-but-surely undermined by the progressively unmemorable songs - with the majority of such scenes saddled with lyrics that'll force even the most forgiving viewer to throw up their arms in exasperation (ie "the worm in the apple that slips between our teeth can make our heart fragrant." What?) The performances are fine, although the early exit of Sagnier's character does leave a void that's felt for the remainder of the proceedings - which undoubtedly exacerbates the film's many, many problems and ultimately cements Love Songs' place as a distinct and undeniable misfire.
