The London premiere of Canadian movie "The Tracey Fragments" was shown tonight at the Rich Mix cinema as part of the East London Film Festival. Known across the film world for it's split-screen footage as well as it's star, Canadian native Ellen Page, it made for an interesting and ambiguous viewing experience.
The plot, narrated in a disorganized flashback, tells of Tracey Berkowitz (Ellen Page) and her attempt to find her missing brother Sonny (Zie Souwand) in the frozen backwaters of the Canadian suburbs. A bullied and misanthropic youngster who never really fits in to either her family or school, Tracey takes on a journey as she searches for her brother but also herself at the same time.
"The Tracey Fragments" is indeed just that, with the same told from multiple angles in a single frame on-screen that convey Tracey's fractured mind, family and life. For the most part, the technique works and actually conveys a lot of meaning, particularly in the family scenes. In whatever context it's used, it rarely feels like just a gimmick.
Furthermore, there is the film's representation of it's heroine. Many bad things happen to Tracey Berkowitz and yet although her plight is moving at times, her selfish actions and carelessness prevent the audience from sympathizing with her completely and this keeps the film from being overly sentimental. That said, however, the tone is unrelentingly remorseless and without much humour to lighten it up, things tend to drag at times.
Page, as ever, leads the way with another complex performance, probably her best to my mind along with "Hard Candy". She isn't quite strong enough to hold the long shot at the very end of the film, but otherwise she's excellent. Page is well supported by a solid supporting cast and some strong direction by Bruce McDonald.
This film is not a light or fun viewing experience, but is certainly one of a kind in it's technique and performances and is worth seeing.
The plot, narrated in a disorganized flashback, tells of Tracey Berkowitz (Ellen Page) and her attempt to find her missing brother Sonny (Zie Souwand) in the frozen backwaters of the Canadian suburbs. A bullied and misanthropic youngster who never really fits in to either her family or school, Tracey takes on a journey as she searches for her brother but also herself at the same time.
"The Tracey Fragments" is indeed just that, with the same told from multiple angles in a single frame on-screen that convey Tracey's fractured mind, family and life. For the most part, the technique works and actually conveys a lot of meaning, particularly in the family scenes. In whatever context it's used, it rarely feels like just a gimmick.
Furthermore, there is the film's representation of it's heroine. Many bad things happen to Tracey Berkowitz and yet although her plight is moving at times, her selfish actions and carelessness prevent the audience from sympathizing with her completely and this keeps the film from being overly sentimental. That said, however, the tone is unrelentingly remorseless and without much humour to lighten it up, things tend to drag at times.
Page, as ever, leads the way with another complex performance, probably her best to my mind along with "Hard Candy". She isn't quite strong enough to hold the long shot at the very end of the film, but otherwise she's excellent. Page is well supported by a solid supporting cast and some strong direction by Bruce McDonald.
This film is not a light or fun viewing experience, but is certainly one of a kind in it's technique and performances and is worth seeing.