02/09/2010

Cold Weather: Sherlock Holmes in Portland

Image courtesy of Festival del Film Locarno

The latest exponent of mumblecom, Cold Weather, by Aaron Katz, had its premiere at the latest Fesival del Film di Locarno. Katz has made another feature in the new genre slowly becoming notorious on the European film festival circuit after conquering its native soil, the United States of America.


The story revolves around Doug, (Cris Lankenau) a twenty-something American guy returning home to Portland, Oregon after dropping out of college not really knowing what to do with his life and not really caring about it either. He lives with his sister Gail (Trieste Kelly Dunn), and starts working at an ice factory. The opening scenes have a soothing, calming effect on the eyes. Aaron Katz, the director, has a real sense of place and knows how to photograph the elements that define a place like Portland. Every shot of landscape reflect the cold and grey this city in the American Northwest has to offer. Doug meets Carlos at the ice factory and invites him over to his sister’s house where his ex-girlfriend Rachel, who popped back in to town, is also there. Carlos and Rachel hit it off and go on a date to a Star Trek convention. Now the story really starts. Rachel suddenly disappears.


Doug’s only passion in life seems to be Sherlock Holmes, and now he gets the chance to become like his hero from the Arthur Conan Doyle stories. Instead of really getting worried about his ex-girlfriend he seems to be excited and happy that a mystery has entered his life, a mystery he hopes to solve with Carlos, who is frantic contrary to the eerie calm of Doug and Gail, who decides to assist her brother in his quest.


It’s a funny film. When Doug reaches a dead end in the investigation, he goes out and buys a pipe in an amusing scene at a local tobacco store. The spirit of Holmes is ever present. Katz manages to build a sense of suspense, which totally disappears after the mystery is solved. The movie goes on for about 45 minutes to an hour after, which is a considerable flaw because the movie loses its edge. But on the other hand that’s not the mojo of this film. It’s more about a brother and his sister, who become little kids again trying to solve a mystery, reminding them what they like about each other. Shutting of the outside world while playing their game like siblings do.


This movie is a perfect example of mumblecom. A genre the indie circuit and bloggers are talking and writing about since 2002 when Funny Ha-Ha, which is generally seen as the first of its kind, was released. It involves low-key naturalism, low-fi production and low volume chatter. The name derives from a soundman, who coined it in a bar at the South to Southwest Film Festival. A lot of people still hate him for that. Other names include Bedhead Cinema and Slackavetes, a twist on Slackers, the grunge film and John Cassevetes, the patron saint of American Indie Cinema. It’s a genre dominated by American filmmakers in their twenties (now approaching, or over thirty). They tend to tell stories set in a mostly white, middle class world, about themselves. Post-college Americans in an existential crisis. A lot of critics subsequently accuse them of navel-gazing. I find it interesting that young Americans pick up a camera to tell their own stories. It’s hardly surprising they have an urge to, in a time American youngsters are portrayed by Hollywood as sex maniacs (American Pie) or crazed teens ready to blow their whole school to oblivion like in Elephant.


Aaron Katz stated in an interview “This is the first time, mostly because of technology, that someone like me can go out and make a film with no money and no connections”. Cold Weather is a loveable film, it reminded me a bit off Manhattan Murder Mystery by Woody Allen. The characters in Cold Weather, just like in Allen’s masterpiece, take you for a ride and feel like distant friends when the credits roll.

Rating: **

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