Films that depend on the interlocking of different story lines are always treading on dangerous terrains. I can only think of a few films that manage to thrive through such a formula. Paul Thomas Anderson's "Magnolia" and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's "Amores Perros" manages to take disparate plots and various characters and unite them in a manner that does not make it seem like a gimmick. Perhaps one can cite Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction" as a successful employment of this type of narrative, although; his is more closely attributed to serial pulp novels. But these are the few exceptions for often than not, they are disasters waiting to happen.
The seminal film that proves this is Paul Haggis's highly overrated film "Crash," where various story lines and characters intersect each other in the heart of Los Angeles, by way of chance and coincidence, makes the film a shallow and misinformed reading of racism. By attempting to encompass everything and everyone in Los Angeles, it ultimately has nothing to say about its themes and subjects. Similarly, "Answers to Nothing" falls victim to such a narrative ploy,
While I give the film credit for not wholly attempting to shamelessly delve into racial politics, but like "Crash," it fails to say much about anything. Although the various narrative threads are united by the case of a missing girl, they do not necessarily coalesce narratively or thematically. The film's protagonist Ryan, played by Dane Cook, is caught in the terrain of uncertainty through his infidelity. His girlfriend Kate is direction-less and preoccupied with having a child. Drew is a woman who has been sober for six months. She takes care of her handicapped brother. We later find out they got in a car accident after she had too much to drink. Carter is an elementary school teacher who is the moral compass of the film, even though he spends most of his free time playing MMO games. Allegra, a beautiful African- American woman, sees a therapist because she hates "black people." There are more characters and story lines than I can count, all somehow insignificantly connected to the other.
Yet, they all don't coalesce into a coherent narrative. While it is better than "Crash," in that it doesn't rely on the idea of coincidence and chance to propel the story and affect the characters, it is still direction-less and hollow. The characters try hard in becoming empathetic but the story offers little to relate. The only meaningful character in the film, which so happens to be tied to the missing girl, is Carter. There seems to be a purpose and profundity in his character. It is a shame that there are not more characters as well constructed as him.
I commend the film for attempting this type of narrative. Like "Crash," it is set in Los Angeles. However, unlike that film, it doesn't become a caricature of an entire city. "Answers to Nothing" is not a total disaster but it is further proof that this type of narrative is difficult to accomplish successfully.
The seminal film that proves this is Paul Haggis's highly overrated film "Crash," where various story lines and characters intersect each other in the heart of Los Angeles, by way of chance and coincidence, makes the film a shallow and misinformed reading of racism. By attempting to encompass everything and everyone in Los Angeles, it ultimately has nothing to say about its themes and subjects. Similarly, "Answers to Nothing" falls victim to such a narrative ploy,
While I give the film credit for not wholly attempting to shamelessly delve into racial politics, but like "Crash," it fails to say much about anything. Although the various narrative threads are united by the case of a missing girl, they do not necessarily coalesce narratively or thematically. The film's protagonist Ryan, played by Dane Cook, is caught in the terrain of uncertainty through his infidelity. His girlfriend Kate is direction-less and preoccupied with having a child. Drew is a woman who has been sober for six months. She takes care of her handicapped brother. We later find out they got in a car accident after she had too much to drink. Carter is an elementary school teacher who is the moral compass of the film, even though he spends most of his free time playing MMO games. Allegra, a beautiful African- American woman, sees a therapist because she hates "black people." There are more characters and story lines than I can count, all somehow insignificantly connected to the other.
Yet, they all don't coalesce into a coherent narrative. While it is better than "Crash," in that it doesn't rely on the idea of coincidence and chance to propel the story and affect the characters, it is still direction-less and hollow. The characters try hard in becoming empathetic but the story offers little to relate. The only meaningful character in the film, which so happens to be tied to the missing girl, is Carter. There seems to be a purpose and profundity in his character. It is a shame that there are not more characters as well constructed as him.
I commend the film for attempting this type of narrative. Like "Crash," it is set in Los Angeles. However, unlike that film, it doesn't become a caricature of an entire city. "Answers to Nothing" is not a total disaster but it is further proof that this type of narrative is difficult to accomplish successfully.