Sunday Serenity -- Movie Review: OC87

OC87:The Obsessive Compulsive, Major Depression, Bipolar, Asperger's Movie

Bud Clayman, having had his dreams of a film making career interrupted by mental illness some thirty years ago, reaches again for his dreams by making this film portraying his struggles with mental illness.  We watch as he and those who witnessed it reminisce about the darkest moments of the major depressive episodes.  We are given glimpses into what a typical day looks and feels like for him with his Asperger's social awkwardness in full view and his OCD circular thoughts provided via voice over.  And as the story progress we watch his coping skills increase as he implements a makeover of his life with the advice and help of friends, family and therapists.  Along the way we witness the healing of relationships, including that with himself, a significant triumph in light of the challenges imposed by Asperger's aka high-functioning autism in which social engagement is severely impaired.

In one scene he acts in a script he wrote based on an episode of Lost in Space that moved him as a child.  The one where John Robinson encounters his evil anti-self in another dimension.  In Buddy's version he gets to verbally chastise and overcome the bully side of himself that has tormented him for decades with harsh judgement and belittlement.

As I watched that I flashed on the Star Trek episode in which a transporter accident split Kirk into two extreme opposite personalities--docile and aggressive.  Kirk learns that neither one of them can survive without the other but only the docile Kirk comprehends this.  The aggressive Kirk will accept nothing less than docile Kirk's annihilation so he must be rendered unconscious and held in docile Kirk's arms as they make the trip through the (hopfuly) repaired transporter to me melded back into one complete person. That is the scene I'd want to reenact with my inner bully.

I need to thank Buddy for this monumental achievment and congratulate him for the follow-thru (so difficult for him) in bringing this project from concept to reality.  But especially for his courage in giving us this intimate view into his heart, mind and life when one of the major issues he struggles with--high-functioning autism--makes intimacy nearly impossible.

A few year's older than Buddy (HS class of 76) and female, I've struggled with major depressive episodes, chronic anxiety, panic attacks, OCD and ADHD, since before kindergarten.  Bipolar was considered several times because of hyperfocus, insomnia, agitation and rapid speech but ruled out because I never had a manic episode not induced by medication and anxiety or sleep deprivation explained the rest.  But less than a week ago I was diagnosed with high-functioning autism and my search for more info led me to this film which could not have reached me at a more momentous time.

If for no other reason than the profound effect his story is having on me, OC87 was worth every penny, every minute, every ounce of effort and every emotional angst and personal risk invested in it by everyone who participated.  Thank You all from the bottom of my heart.

Based on other reviews on Netflix, I'm sure I'm not the only one so affected.  This was important and successful work even if no other metric seems to confirm that.   So you tell that to those OCDemons Buddy.  And keep telling them until you believe it.

OC87 is for anyone either curious or with a personal need for insight into living with mental illness--yours or someone in your life--including therapists. Buddy and his team have given a spot-on portrayal of what it looks and feels like from inside and out. It humanizes him, revealing him to be much more than the sum of his symptoms and elicits compassion rather than pity and admiration rather than condemnation even when he isn't coming across as very likable.

In the end it is profoundly uplifting because Buddy is obviously on the right path forward, having made visibly significant improvement by his efforts and dedication to 'make over' his life and already had a huge win over his inner demons just by conceiving and following through to the finish with this gift of a film for the community at large--however large you want to define that.

The fact that he was in his mid forties when he made this childhood dream come true shows that it is never too late.  Especially if you start believing in the possibility of what seemed impossible and then take the necessary steps toward it in defiance of the demons of doubt--both inner and outer.  Right now, in this moment, while still under the influence of Buddy's film I'm again feeling the possibility of reaching for my childhood dream, ending the currently six-month hiatus from writing and finishing one of the dozens of fiction WIP in my files-or a brand new one.

More importantly I understand now that finishing isn't the most important thing--the effort itself is worthy and potentially transforming as I just witnessed.

If I start to doubt again, I will return to watch OC87.  (So please, please, please leave it up on Netflix.)

Tho some of his experiences differ from mine, for those that are similar I can testify to their accuracy.   I will be referring some of my friends and family to this film for insight into my struggles.  Especially the Asperger's aspect.

The only significant difference is in the way my OCD circular thoughts manifest.  Instead of fear of acting out on thoughts of violent acts against others, I have an inner tyrannical taskmaster continuously berating me for failing, never allowing me to enjoy a sense of accomplishment by interpreting successes as failure because they never meet the impossibly high standards (like having completed only ten percent of a day's to-do list that contained six weeks worth of tasks) and using these failures as proof that I am a failure--and an excuse to give up.

There are ways other than thoughts that my OCDemons manifest for which I saw no reflection In Bud's experience so I'lll save them for future posts.  But I can say that like Bud's mine have nothing to do with hand washing, germs, counting, or checking locks and appliances so well  portrayed in culture media to seem synonymous with OCD.  There are a myriad of ways obsession and compulsion can manifest alone  and together and more than a few have plagued my life.

Keep making films Buddy.  I will be watching for more of your work.  You are so talented, insightful and honest.  The industry and film community needs you and your unique way of seeing the world.

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Origins -- The Movie -- A Review

Origins -- the Movie
Our Roots. Our Planet. Our Future

I just watched this as part of my personal campaign for taking back control of my health--both physical and mental.  In my case they were preaching to the converted as I've already been convinced by experience that food is medicine (or poison) for its nothing but chemical reactions. Whatever chemicals you put in the mix determine the wellness level of the organism.

Tho they did not surprise me with their premise, I did learn much regarding the role our DNA plays in our ability to metabolize the chemicals we introduce to the intricate ecosystem that is our bodies. This gave me a possible explanation for the quirky way my system reacts to certain foods and medicines and leads me to wonder just how much of my mood disorder issues might be alleviated if not cured by change of diet.

 I also learned more ways I can regain power of dietary options.  And maybe most important of all I was given a boost of hope.

Four years in the making, this documentary consults 24 experts in 19 countries in the fields of medicine, health, anthropology and ecology.  They explore the roots of our DNA and the ways in which it has not caught up with the modern world and thus is creating illness, infertility, and ecological and economic devastation.

But it is not just a doomsday alarm.  Rather it is a clarion call for concerted action on the part of groups and individuals.  They emphasize the power of our dollars as votes for change.  The point us in the direction of specific actions we can take in our own lives, homes, and communities to regain control over our health, diet, and our immediate environment.

For a short time they are providing a free viewing of this approximately hour and a half film.  Don't miss out.

As an added bonus it is full of beautiful photography of breathtaking landscapes that exudes love and respect for our planet.

Origins Movie Trailer

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Friday Forays in Fiction: Film Review--Powder Blue

Powder Blue

written and directed by Timothy Linh Bui

May 8, 2009

106 minutes

It's not for Pollyanna's or prudes, pedandicts or puffed up peacocks who are so tone deaf they compare all music to their own mating call and find it wanting.

Those who have been cradled from birth in the suburbs, college campuses and high rise cubicles and thus have never tasted of the poverty of choice created by the poverty of means or spirit that pummels hope to a putrid pulp and convinces one it was only ever an illusion will find it hard to connect with this story.

And those who have never sipped of the cup of despair or experienced that profound loniness that paints life with the patina of a nightmare or have never when in such a place made poor or even depraved choices they find impossible to live with may find it impossile to connect with the characters.

And those who look upon such people with contempt rooted in self-righteiousness or misguided piety and judge them unworthy of care or redemption (as did the elitist Priest and Levite of Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan their fellow Hebrew lying unconscious, robbed, bludgened, naked and bloody by the wayside and who passed by with their noses high thanking God they were not such sinners as that, leaving his rescue to the despised Samaritan) will see only the contemptable in this story.

And those who believe that even looking upon such 'loosers' let alone offering help, kindness or compassion is tantamount to approval of their choices and permission to continue 'living in sin' and fearing contamination will likely turn away from the screen, walk out of the theater or press stop on the DVD remote inside of five minutes.

If you are any of the above you will likely find this film depressing, hysterical, over the top, clueless, disgusting, manipulative, unbelievable, overacted, poorly written and directed and of little to no entertainment, cultural or artictic value.

It's too bad that 90% of the reviews and comments on this film I could find online were all written by those with one or more of such characteristics because they are the clueless ones unable to comprehend the meaning of this very profound, heart-wrenching, dark story, a modern parable that delves into despair and finds its way back to hope.

Most by their very own confession had made up their mind in the first five minutes to hate it whether out of confusion, disgust or disdain. Many even inadvertantly admitted the source of their confusion was lazy viewing when their complaint, what ever it might have been, could easily have been proved spacious by a three second clip five to fifty minutes before the 'offending' moment. What, were they fumbling after straying popcorn or simply impatient for the Jessica Biel exotic dance/striptease scenes finding everything else irrelevant?

Nearly all of the professional critics hated it and the audience review ratings run only 44 % positive. I sm still a newbie at critiquing film and still feeling insecure about writing reviews so I was at first mysitfied and chagrined upon reading all those pans immediately after giving Power Blue five stars on Netflix after streaming it in the wee hours of this morning.

At first I lost confidence in my favorable opinion, wondering why the stark difference. Do I not recognize crap when i see it? Or am I seeing something real that everybody else missed and if so what makes me special?

I considered turning away from my intent to post a review but found myself so worked up about it my head was spinning with all I wanted to say and that eventually overrode the reticence and motivated me to keep working on my review.

I still feel incompetant to say much more than 'I liked/disliked, it worked/didn't work for me about the aspects of a film related to it's making (screenplay, cinematography, acting, directing, editing, soundtrack, casting) but I know story so I will keep my comments to that level for now.

The story is about four (actually I see six) individuals in severe life crisis whose paths intersect over the four days before Christmas Eve in the seedy and seamy sections of LA. 'Dream Town America' for these four is a nightmare of lonliness, desperation, grief and despair.

Jack Doheny played by Ray Liotta is fresh out of prison after serving a 25 year sentence and has just learned that the love of his life has recently died and that he has gastric cancer and only weeks or less to live. In an attempt to make some ammends for the mess he'd created of his life and the harm that had done to the lives that touched his, he went looking for the daughter he'd left behind as a toddler and who believed he'd died before she was born.

His daughter, Rose John aka Johnny aka Scarlet, played by Jessica Biel, is an exotic dancer at a sleazy strip club to support her son who lies comatose in a hospital. Her boss, Velvet Larry played by Patrick Swayze is dispicable and depraved, a user of people, a taker who won't give and a scrooge who insists this mother of a dying child must work on Christmas eve.

Forest Whitaker plays Charlie grieving over the loss of his wife in a car acident (on their wedding day?) for whom he'd thrown over his vocation as a priest and thus now was unable to find solice in the faith he once depended on and blaming himself (he was driviing) believed himself unworthy of happiness or love. He spent the bulk of the movie attempting to give his life savings ($50,000) in exchange for the trigger finger that would put a bullet through his heart as he was unable to overcome his Catholic compunctions to do it himself.

One of those he propositioned for this was a young mortician, Qwerty Doolittle played by Eddie Redmayne who was so painfully shy he was more comfortable with corpses than living, breathing people. He's awkward and clumsy in social situations and when they involved women they would often trigger his asthma. But he had a good heart, spending much of his free time in charitable activities and often not demanding payment for his services from those truely unable to pay. Which last had helped to bring him to the brink of bankruptsy and the certain foreclosure on the business which had been his late father's by the end of the month.

Qwerty and Rose John crossed paths after Qwerty had hit her runaway dog with his hearse and taken him home to nurse back to health and upon seeing the Lost Dog/Reward posters then contacted Johnny to reunite them and found himself smitten by her.

Those are the four whose stories are recognized as the primary ones while other characters are considered supporting. But I would add Sally the waitress played by Lisa Kudrow who was in the midst of a divorce and Lexus played by Alejandro Romero, a transvestite pining for love and obsessed with having the sex change surgery which he imagines would make him loveable. Both of these characters intersected with Charlie. Lexus was the first one Charlie offered the money to and Sally was the waitress in the dinner he hung out in who was profoundly affected by his obvious sadness and lonely herself, reached out to him only to be repeatedly rebuffed.

These stories played out on the screen very fast paced, surrealistic, and dark in mood and palette. Some scenes seemed to flicker in the way of a dream. There were touches of what might be magic realisim but one of those might be more real than magical:

The powder blue snowfall on Christmas eve representing the miracle of hope returning to their hearts and the love blooming there opening it up to the possibilities of life. Some considered this silly and unbelievable. Snow in LA? And what's with the blue? Who's ever seen blue snow? But I wonder how far fetched it really is in a place known for its heavily chemical laden smog and the dumping of the toilets by landing jets that creates blue ice chunks that have done damage to people and property on the ground. I was made aware of this recently by a Six Feet Under episode in which the opening sceen death was caused by such a blue ice chunk. So blue snow does not seem that far fetched to me.

Powder Blue has been compared to Crash and The Air I Breathe for this interwoven stories form but mostly found unsatisfactorly executed, confusing, trite, contrived, gimmicky and just a wannabe in a genre already so last year.

Maybe I don't know enough yet about the making of a movie to be able to contradict them but I can say that it all worked for me. I did not get confused nor find myself feeling manipulated. Nor did I find it melodramatic. The suggestion that these stories featuring the intersecting lives of strangers who impact each other's future in ways unimaginable to either beforehand are passe because they'd already been done and done better dismays me for I discovered this story form in novels and short story collections over 25 years ago and have sought them out ever since whether film or novel and in fact knowing this about a story will convince me to try it even if nothing else I'm told about it had appealed to me.

I believe that far from being overdone or having had its day, this form is still in its infancy and still struggling to find its foothold in the culture as the novel and film forms had themselves to do in their beginnigs.

I see this story form as literary as opposed to mainstream or genre pop culture forms and believe it is reflecting our society's slow awaking to the fact of our inter-relatedness and utter dependence on each other; and the realization that isolation and lonliness, the bane our bootstrap philosophy has inflicted, are a cancer of the soul and that only in relationship do we feel whole; and the dawning understanding that our every action has an infinite ripple effect across our world spreading faster than a plague and piling up faster than snow in a blizzard.

The hero/quest, and the single protagonis/point of view stories have dominated our culture for over a century and many believe they are the only legitimate fiction format now and therefore are disturbed by the still developing forms like this.

I would like to go point by point to contend all of the negative criticisms I found to be more indicative of the critics own lack of insight than of any faults in Powder Blue (not that I'm claiming it has no faults) but time constraints and difficulty in making my case without giving spoilers prohibits it.




Some of what I looked at while preparing this:

Blog Critics This was the only review that came close to seeing much of what I saw and not only approved but predicts that someday it will be recognized the the work of art it is.

IMDb

Rotten Tomatoes

Wikkipedia

Huffington Post

Meta Critic

Film Critic

Variety

Movie Review Intelligence

Fandango

Big Hollywood

DVD Talk

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The Triplets of Belleville

And don't miss this music video inspired by the theme song Rendezvous

This is my first attempt at a review of a film so bear with me.

In this mostly traditional animation (light on computer generated graphics) by Sylvain Chomeet not only the music is jazzy but the visual and emotional aspects as well. The dialog is sparse with the story being carried by the music and images and action sometimes verging on mime. So this Sony Classics French film can be completely comprehended without subtitles for those of us who are not French endowed.

It is an hallucination with the ambiance of a Dickens novel featuring grotesquely elongated or bulbous figures fumbling and bumbling their way a la Keystone Cops in a sepia and grey watercolor setting. It is humorous and horrifying by turns. The humor often dark and dismaying even as it solicits giggles, grins and guffaws.

Belleville is a jazzy and surrealistic collage of post WWII Paris, Montreal and New York. The Triplets are somewhat addled elderly 1930s era cabaret singers who now perform musical improve with found instruments such as a newspaper, a fridge, and a canister vacuum cleaner. Their diet consists of frogs harvested from a swamp with dynamite. But these quirky sisters are just supporting cast who collude with the grandmother of a Tour de France cyclist who was kidnapped by mobsters during the race.

It took me quite some time to realize that it was stumpy little club-footed, spectacled, granny who was the protagonist and not Champion, the grandson whom she took in when he was orphaned as a small tot. He was persistently morose and she indefatigable in her attempts to lure him back to a joie de vive. The gift of a puppy brought her momentary satisfaction when it garnered a brief smile that reached his eyes but it wasn't long before he returned to his brooding though now with his furry companion and co-brooder, Bruno, at his side. In fact, even Bruno has more depth and personality than the grandson which is endearingly displayed as he plays sidekick to Grandma on the search for Champion.

What finally reached Champion was cycling. She discovered his interest after finding a scrapbook full of clippings of bicycles and cyclists and races under his mattress. So she got him a tricycle and once he graduated to a bicycle she became his coach, relentless in her efforts to prepare him for professional racing.

After discovering his abandoned bike on the Tour's roadside she solicited the help of Bruno who tracked him to the dock from which a huge steamer was pulling away. Grandma and Bruno follow in a pedal boat all the way to the fantastical city of Belleville somewhere in North America. It was about the time she arrived in Belleville that I finally realized that she was the protagonists in this story.

As she settles in with Bruno by her campfire that first night ashore she begins tapping out a tune on the spokes of a bicycle wheel and this lures the triplets to her side. After a song and dance routine the three weird sisters take in the stodgy grandma.

And that's as far as I can go in relating the plot without giving unforgivable spoilers for anyone who's not seen this phantasmagorical cartoon for grown-ups. That was probably less than the first third of the 80 some minutes of this eye-popping carnival ride of a film. The rest is all about the developing relationship between grandma and the triplets and the search for Champion.

There is a lot of silly slapstick stuff going on at the margins of the scenes or off stage as far as Grandma's story is concerned. Visual puns abound as does social commentary--most prominently the gluttonous consumerism of the North Americans. There is so much visual information in every scene that it was impossible to take it all in with a single viewing so I'm hoping to have a chance to watch it again before I send it back to the library. (Though the fact that I have several movies and documentaries and a full season of Boston Legal out of the library make that a challenge.)

The rich and the powerful and the stylish are always portrayed as having rusty consciences and thus undeserving of respect though they obviously believe that respect is one of their inalienable rights. In contrast the rustic, the dorky, the eccentric, the downtrodden have the moral integrity, the gumption, the perseverance, the wit and wisdom. And with any concern about respect completely off their radar, replaced by compassion they have nurtured within themselves a sense of connection with others and life itself that is the source of the content.

Let me close by saying that I did not even consider picking up my crochet while watching this as it was impossible to tear my eyes from the screen even for the split seconds I need to position the hook for the next stitch.

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