Bubble
Director: Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, Ocean's 11, Erin Brockovich)
Writer: Coleman Hough
Producers: Steven Soderbergh, Gregory Jacobs
Starring: Debbie Doebereiner, Dustin Ashley, Misty Wilkins
MPAA Rating:R
Running time: 73 min
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Kyle, the young kid, gets rides to work everyday from Martha; a middle-aged, overweight woman who claims that Kyle is her best friend. One day, a new comer joins the crew at the doll factory; a young woman named Rose. Instantly Rose and Kyle seem to have a connection with one another and end up eventually going out. Basically not a whole lot ever happens in the story until the last 15 minutes or so; not really even any drama. I was really disappointed throughout, with how boring the film is. You just sit and watch these characters live their boring-ass lives and talk about the weather, trivial work issues and other small talk. That was until the last 15 mintues where the plot definitely jumps out at you and intrigue sets in as to what just happened and why.
However, to really appreciate this film, you need to understand how this movie was made and who the actors involved are. First off, the filmmakers wrote a barebones script and allowed the actors to figure out how to get through the story and work themselves to the end. So it was mostly all improvisation. Second, even more remarkable is the fact that the actors in the movie aren’t really actors. They are a bunch of normal people from the same small town in which the film was made. The casting director just interviewed a bunch of people around town and picked the people she liked the best.
The actors, being just regular people, did a pretty good job. You can definitely tell that they have little or no experience in acting and you can also tell that a real good script wasn’t written. It just feels like you’re hanging out with some small town, shy people while they get on with their daily lives. But I think that’s the point, so in that way, they did a very good job. I just would’ve liked a little more complexity in the dialogue than just, "hey, what’s up...how’s your mom…good…that’s nice…can I have a ride home tonight?" etc. It’s definitely much more interesting to watch the film knowing that these people are truly non-performers. I would go so far as to say that on the DVD version, it may even be more interesting, to some people (like me), to watch the movie with the Steven Soderbergh commentary track on; even the first time possibly. There’s another commentary track with the three main actors that I haven’t gotten around to listening to yet, but if you really want to appreciate the film, you have to understand how this particular film was made.
All in all it’s, if nothing else, a very interesting idea for a movie. The whole thing is simply more authentic than any other movie you’re likely to see simply because it truly is authentic. It’s not for everyone. In fact, it’s not for most people. There’s no action, there’s little dialogue, little dramatic effect and even less story line. The storyline that is there is nothing really new or particularly interesting. But by the end, I felt satisfied in what it is as a film and how I felt about the people involved in making the film. Try it if you want something different than the usual Hollywood fanfare. Just be aware of everything I’ve said here; the good and the bad, which is Bubble.
Links:
Official Site
