Chained for Life

Don't know much about film production. However, this one was quite hard to differentiate between reality, documentary and real acting. Was about to skip it. Insanely brilliant!

Besides the tremendous performance from Jess Weixler this film is absolutely atrocious. It was all over the place and made no sense whatsoever. I was completely lost and had no idea what was going on the entire film. I still don't know what the hell I just watched. Would not recommend.

The uniqueness of normality. The beauty of authenticity. The illusiveness of abnormality. The uncomfortable act of being seen. The ugly act of being ignored. The horror of theatricality. The truth of fiction. The monstrous clarity of objectification. The innate naturalism of aberration.

The least democratic thing in our society is how attractive others find us.

This movie is a subtly unfolding, intentionally clumsily-forged, plasticine act of dreamlike kindnesses and social inhumanity.

The mostly unseen Herr Director of the movie-within-the-movie, Warner Herzog-esque in his rhetoric but Uwe Bollian in his craft, is a huge delight. And Jess Weixler does her best young Drew Barrymore at first, but arcs towards being herself as the film unclenches in its formalism.

I also like how this movie opens by highlighting one of the multitude of ridiculous Ayn Randian comments that hack Pauline Kael slung in the name of film criticism.

One review had remarked on the movie being a puzzler about many layers of frames competing. I think the meta-cleverness of the movie being within layers upon layers makes it hard to watch, but that it also resonates long after in the same way Memento does. You have to really think about how it all fits together and what it is saying.

All I can say is Jess Wexler is an absolute revelation. I was so lucky to catch this at NOLAFF and I was blown away. If you have no idea what the film is about please just just take my advice and give it a chance you will not regret it!