Rage (15)

Written and directed by Sally Potter

Reviewed by Mari Jones

On the 24th of September 2009, a groundbreaking type of interactive cinema emerged for one night only, as Sally Potter’s new film was screened simultaneously in cinemas all across the UK. After the screenings, audiences were invited to text or e-mail questions to be answered live by the cast and Sally Potter herself. The event was a huge success and the live Q&A was an inspired idea. But what about the film itself?

Rage is set during one week at a New York fashion show where a young boy called Michelangelo (who we never see or hear) is filming interviews with people, both important and unimportant, on his mobile. However one day there is a fatal accident involving one of the models. And from then on, chaos reigns.

When you begin to watch Rage, the fact that the actors are looking straight into the lens - and at you - can be disconcerting. But this allows you to be drawn into their stories and cleverly puts us in the place of the interviewer and filmmaker, making it more compelling to watch.

When just one subject is being filmed this way, the performances are all the more important. But all the actors manage to flesh out their characters, with some of the stand outs being Simon Abkarian as Merlin the enigmatic designer, Steve Buscemi as Frank the photographer and Jude Law as a flamboyant model with his own feminine persona, called Minx. The one possible exception is Lily Cole as the model Lettuce Leaf, who acts well, but isn’t exactly Oscar worthy.

Although Sally Potter uses the idea of the murders to add some sense of narrative, this is not a conventional film. So some viewers who do not like this sort of arty, experimental cinema would be best to avoid it. In fact this is not so much a film as a set of monologues to a camera. But in these monologues, egos and secrets are revealed and the facades drop as true personalities are shown.

Rage is no longer out at the cinema, but it is still available to download for free. So if you believe you can sit through this sort of non-conventional and basically plotless film, it makes for an enjoyable experience as you enter this new world of what Sally Potter calls “voyeuristic cinema.”

Printer friendly page

Sorry Comments Closed