Purgatory House (2006)
Picture: C- Sound: C Extras: C Main Program: C
Illicit
appeals to pity or fact are no way to sell a DVD and besides “based on a true
story” at the top of the list, Cindy Baer’s Purgatory House (2006) comes emblazoned at the top of the DVD case
with the words “ a feature entirely written by a 14-year-old girl” at the
top. What we must ask is if this will be
more mature than expected, childlike or childish. The story tries to tell us about a surreal,
postmodern take on suicide and assumes much about the afterlife. The result is a sort of Donnie Darko wannabe that never works.
The
writer is the star, Celeste Davis, who has a character at her young age already
addicted to drugs and on the edge of death.
The time clock in the lower corner occasionally shows up to tell us how
much time she has left in the mortal world.
Anytime any serious questions about life and death are asked, we get the
simple out of assured heaven and hell.
This never works. For her age,
Davis’ work is ambitious, but as a total work, it is just too disjoined and
disconnected.
Most
interesting, when I was not reminded of Donnie
Darko, I was reminded of a very similar work as recent that is much better
at doing what this film does, give or take anything life or death. That film is Michel Gondry’s The Science Of Sleep, the visually
brilliant Music Video director’s latest attempt at a full length feature film
narrative. Also featuring a lead that
can see life on an unusual big TV, that film may have some problems, but pulls
together more of what it attempts since Gondry is working on a higher level
than most adults in fairness to Davis.
However, Gondry’s world has more possibilities and less dogma, the kind
that seems to doom the lead Davis plays as well as her final work in a heavy
handed way that was unnecessary.
Perhaps
it is just demons that needed to be excised, but that even has trouble
translating here. She should try again,
though, if she can remain as ambitious.
The image
offers various aspect ratios, including some letterboxed footage, all taped and
usually 1.78 X 1. The images try to put
some style in the video, but the video limits them. The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix really stretches
out the sound that is also here in better Dolby 2.0, both of which are barely
stereo and have all kinds of fidelity limits.
Extras include two making of featurettes, a Music Video, deleted scenes,
notes, two trailers and L.A. premiere.
- Nicholas Sheffo
