 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
Why do you cover it
up? SCREENED AT VISIONFEST 2005, US WORLD PREMIERE The following is only one writer/filmgoer’s perception. You are encouraged to make up your own mind and find your own take on the material, as well as your thoughts on the film… think for yourself! Firecracker is a true American original, one of the best films I’ve seen so far this year. It’s about the impossibility of chaining one’s spirit. Confronting one’s self, one’s sins, one’s past, and everything that’s buried whether it be emotions, the truth, or (literally) a person… About seeing the world as it truly is and confronting all the horrid things that you find in order to find beauty again. It’s about defeating one’s emotional jailers. Transcendence of the flesh, of common perception. Following your dreams. Kansas-based director Steve Balderson (PEP SQUAD) spent over seven years researching, designing and preparing this tale of small-town trouble and the sudden shock surrounding the murder of David White. Based on a true story which took place in the director’s hometown, it has already won awards at RainDance, Fantasporto and won four at VisionFest, and shows no signs of stopping. Sensitive Jimmy White (Jak Kendall) spends his drab life in Wamego, Kansas under the thumbs of a repressive, delusional mother (Karen Black) and a nightmare made flesh, his older brother David (Mike Patton). On the surface David plays the part of a caring good ol’ boy, but a hair below that mask is a violent alcoholic and rapist, an unconfrontable demon who is somewhat kept in check by his family; who have grown so used to not standing up to him that they get through the day by fixing his drinks before he comes home and looking up to God, or down to the floor, instead of talking back.. Jimmy’s two means of escape are through his self-expression in piano playing, and through the one burst of exuberance to grace Wamego every fourth of July - the traveling carnival. Literally bringing color to his world and allowing him to hold his head high, Jimmy falls for the carnival’s singer, a fading yet resilient chanteuse (Karen Black) with her own secrets and her own jailer: Frank (Mike Patton), the sinister carnival owner. Sandra the siren is held emotionally captive by Frank, and has a past of her own with David White, who comes around hoping to restart failed fireworks like the previous year. Sandra's escape is through song and the two manage to bond; Through the story, Sandra and Jimmy will inspire each other, to follow their hearts and dreams, face their tormentors, and stand up to them. But first, David White goes missing. Secrets bubble to the surface. Ignorance and perception are thrown further off-balance. Local sheriff Ed (Susan Traylor) will have to bring herself to admit the truth about what goes on in her own backyard, as everything begins to crack and crumble like the bottles swaying from the tree out on the limitless yet restrictive Kansas prairie. Jak Kendall as Jimmy carries a sweet loner-innocence, yet he is as touched by darkness as the rest. Karen Black, in her dual roles, gives performances for the ages as Sandra and Eleanor-while Sandra is more in the foreground, a second viewing for me revealed the depth and texture Ms. Black gives while inhabiting the tormented, fanatical, fraying Eleanor. Faith no More/Fantomas frontman, musician Mike Patton, looks like he’s been acting all his life as David White. In his brief role as David, Patton exudes a smoldering Tennesse Williams anger under a handsome exterior; this guy could do STREETCAR tomorrow if he wanted to. As Frank, Patton seems more larger-than life and exaggerated, but it fits the bold, eye-popping color palette of the carnival. The dual roles for Patton and Black make perfect sense when you see it and I quickly stopped concentrating on the twin casting and looked straight to the characters. Susan Traylor as Ed(ith) and Paul Sizemore as her deputy are enjoyable, and deeply troubled by what they unearth. Look for cameos by Kathleen Wilhoite in a hilarious scene, Jane Weidlin, author Pleasant Gehman, Selene Luna, and sideshow artists The Enigma and Katzen in brief roles. The director’s sister Brooke (of Pep Squad fame) plays a vital, direct role as Pearl, a voice of truth. Director Balderson has fashioned a creepy, layered, melancholy, energetic and funny tale that you really can’t compare to many other films.. Hints of the aforementioned Williams and David Lynch, particularly in the effective sound design and pace, can be unearthed but it is its own beast. One scene’s emotional weight literally left me speechless. It’s an assured and confident film that shows that the new and important/unique voices can exist in the ‘flyover zone’ between New York and LA. Visit www.dikenga.com for more information on upcoming festival screenings and its future theatrical release. Shake up your cinematic diet.
---------------------------------------- E-Insiders
- 2005
Click here to return to
the articles page.
site by imagemakers |
