Info
The opinions, comments and viewpoints expressed in articles are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the webmaster.
All press articles are still under copyright from the original source and provided for entertainment purposes and research only. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for your own purposes beyond the 'fair use' exception, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
|
Ellen Page delivers a typically strong performance in this failed cinematic experiment. by Frank Scheck, published on May 7, 2008 A failed cinematic experiment mainly notable for its fine starring performance by a pre-"Juno" Ellen Page, "The Tracey Fragments" provides more evidence (not that any was needed) that an extensive use of split-screen visuals is far more irritating than arresting. This avant-garde tale of a troubled teen girl will attract some attention thanks to its newly famous star, but is destined to leave cold whatever small audiences it manages to attract. Directed by veteran Canadian filmmaker Bruce McDonald and featuring a screenplay by Maureen Medved based on her own novel, the literally fragmented narrative depicts the travails of Tracey Berkowitz (Page), who spends most of the film wandering around on the back of a city bus, naked except for the shower curtain she's wrapped in. As her voice-over narration explains, she's looking for her younger brother (Zie Souwand), who she thinks she's hypnotized into believing he's a dog. In the course of a brief but seemingly interminable 77 minutes, we also are given glimpses into her unhappy home life with her dysfunctional parents (Ari Cohen, Erin McMurty); her romantic obsession with a fellow high schooler (Slim Twig); and her therapy sessions with her cross-dressing shrink (Julian Richings). McDonald adopts a dizzying split-screen technique for nearly the entirety of the film's running time, presenting a collage-like montage of visuals that will make the film a true trial to endure except on the big screen. As usual, Page is compelling in the central role, even if its cliched aspects fail to show her to her best advantage. Ultimately, "Tracey Fragments" will be best known as a minor footnote to an already accomplished career. Source: www.hollywoodreporter.com |
Printerfriendly version · Read 270 times
Powered by Silver News 2.0.4
Last Update: 09/02/2010
© 2006-2010 Dominik Keppner
© 2006-2010 Dominik Keppner
