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Thursday, 06 September 2007 |
  Any time a movie is made about sexual identity, it is easy, not to mention likely for it to devolve into a preachfest. After all, the independent film industry is full of young filmmakers more than willing to hoist their personal beliefs, particularly sexual ones, on any movie viewer who crosses their path. With Puccini for Beginners writer/director Maria Maggenti manages to tread a fine line on a touchy subject and produce a distinctly enjoyable, amusing film.
Elizabeth Reaser plays a Woody Allen-esque, sexually confused woman who is dumped by her girlfriend, for a man, then finds herself in relationships with both a man and woman, who unbeknownst to her also happen to be each other's exs (exes? eh) in this surprisingly clever, entertaining, amusing, and very short movie. Running time, minus closing credits, is barely 75 minutes. Comparisons to Woody Allen are easy, but also fitting. This is the brief, "talky" type of film Allen made during his heyday of Manhattan and Annie Hall, and is every bit as clever and enjoyable, with slightly less neurosis.
No doubt, my fondness for both Elizabeth Reaser and Gretchen Mol, who play two of the three main characters, added to my enjoyment, but the story and direction, which could (and I basically expected to) go down a tiresome, self-righteous road, instead delves into a great deal of ambiguity and indecisiveness, without being dull. The fact is, there are several laugh-out-loud lines and Mol and Reaser are too charming to resist. This was a real surprise.
Starring: Elizabeth Reaser, Gretchen Mol, Justin Kirk, Julianne Nicholson, Tina Benko, Jennifer Dundas.
Director: Maria Maggenti
Studio: InDigEnt
Rated: UR
Running Time: 82 minutes
Release: 2006
Reviewer: John Rice |
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