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This week I present two independent releases
that are dark, uncomfortable, slightly sadistic...
and highly enjoyable. Both films are riddled with
drugs, frustration and depression. But, there are
thin, silver threads lining these narrative storm
clouds. Each film's young starlet outshines her
surrounding gloom and gives a performance of
astonishing poignance and innocence.
Some people will be upset by these films;
others, such as myself, will sit back and think,
"What a wonderfully-twisted tale of survival."
It's the old "glass half-empty" or "glass half-full"
conundrum. Okay, enough preaching, just enjoy
(if you dare):
HALF NELSON (R) 2006. A slow, deliberate ar
ticulation of the near-impossibility of breaking
human habits, patterns and prejudices, the debut
film of director Ryan Fleck follows the gradual
demise of an idealistic and unmotivated teacher,
Dan Dunne, (Ryan Gosling), whose only attain
able goal in life is his getting his next fix (crack,
cocaine, you name it).
A facade of lofty ideals, a bookshelf of rebel
lious literature and a series of half-hearted lec
tures about "opposing forces" to inner-city 8th
TIDELAND (R) 2005. This film is a twisted car
nival ride that's both stomach-churning and
fun until its finish. I found myself disgusted,
amused, disturbed and entranced by what was
playing out in front of me, and I couldn't take
my eyes off this "Nightmare in Wonderland."
The critics gave Tideland a merciless beat
ing. The disturbing, colorful film was received
about as well as a case of Ebola, being described
as "trashy and disgusting" (New York Post) and
a "diseased Lewis Carroll universe" (Chicago
Reader). Unfortunately, I think too many critics
were turned off by the film's creepy and alarm
ing elements and failed to acknowledge the
screenplay's prowess and the film's skillful direc
tion and acting.
In Tideland, Jeliza-Rose (Jodelle Ferland) is a
white-trash Alice, a child who spends her days at
home with her junkie parents, cooking up daddy's
(Jeff Bridges) heroin, brushing her mother's
(Jennifer Tilly) long, skanky locks and playing
with her friends; a collective of doll-heads she
wears on her fingers. The misadventure begins
with her mother's overdose. From there, her fa
ther flees town and the two set up shop in her
dead grandmother's dilapidated shack.
Tideland
graders make a shabby veil for his own weakness
es. One of his students, Drey (Shareeka Epps),
discovers his secret after a basketball game,
when she finds him smoking crack in the girls'
bathroom. Shocked by what she sees, Drey man
ages to sympathize with Dunne's depression and
frustration. Plus, Drey's no stranger to Dunne's
temptations, as she witnesses friends and family
succumb to criminal lifestyles.
Fleck's work is deceptively skilled for a first
time director. His direction shows an instinctive,
sensitive grasp of human behavior. Imitating
the drug haze in which Dunne shuffles through
his days, scenes bleed into one another set to
the music of indie favorite Broken Social Scene,
whose song "Shampoo Suicide" serves as a kind
of unofficial theme for the film. What could eas
ily be a dark, hopelessly depressing film turns
out to be a poignant depiction of an unlikely
friendship between a struggling addict and a
bold, 13 year-old woman.
Epps was a surprise Best Actress winner at this
year's Spirit Awards, though she went unnoticed
at the Oscars. Gosling, on the other hand, scored
an upset Best Actor nod at this year's Academy
Awards and joined Epps in the winners' circle at
the Spirit Awards, taking home Best Actor for
his work in the film. In fact, Gosling'dedicated
a good portion of his acceptance speech to ac
knowledging the thespian prowess of his young
costar. It goes without saying that the dynamic
shared between Epps and Gosling on screen is the
lynchpin of Half Neborfs success. Grade: A*
As Jeliza settles into her new home. Daddy
decides to "take a vacation" and overdoses.
Completely unaware of his death, Jeliza plays
nonstop in the desolate wonderland that engulfs
her, striking a bizarre friendship with a develop-
mentally challenged young man and his older,
taxidermist sister. Oh, and she also makes time
to dress up Daddy's slowly decaying corpse with
bright, blonde wigs and pretty princess makeup.
The movie is a colorful rollercoaster that
somehow maintains a faint (albeit it twisted)
sense of humor throughout. Above all accolades,
however, Ferland deserves immense credit for
her execution of her fantastical role. Not only
did she master the part of Jeliza, but she nailed
the voices of Jeliza's doll-heads that are her
only "true" friends. Yes, it's totally creepy—if by
creepy, you mean totally awesome.
It's understandable why the film had such
a rough reception. Some of the scenes are very
unsettling and uncomfortable. Terry Gilliam (12
Monkeys, Brazil) has long been associated with
a cinematic style that is irreverent and macabre,
and Tideland is no exception. However, Gilliam
uses Lewis Carroll's fascinating fairytale as the
skeleton for a wild ride down a different sort of
rabbit hole. The final result is a controversial
piece of cinematic art that, I believe, defines
Gilliam as a rebellious director whose unorthodox
style is grounded enough to be credible and hu
morous enough to be enjoyable. Grade: A+
Robin Geddie
20 FLAGPOLE.COM MARCH 28,2007
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