Movie 104: Ten

Starring: Jade Sylvan, Molly Carlisle, Molly Devon, Karin Webb, Kerri Lynch, Leah Principe, Rachel Leigh Blumenthal.

Director: Sophia Cacciola, Michael J. Epstein.

So I know next to nothing about this little film except a few bits of rumor and tidbits of hype.  Word is it's kind of experimental, but plot details are nil. It seems to be entirely cast with Female actors though, so that's kind of rad.  Looks extremely low budget, and IMDB perusals have all the character names as archetypes("The Renegade", "The Religious Fanatic," etc.).  So, I figure this will either be pretty cool or entirely insufferable.  So, let's roll it and see how it plays it out.  I'm going to maintain objectivity as long as I possibly can.

The year is 1971, and we're on Spektor Island, MA.  It clearly is pretty low budget, but the camera work and set design is very arch and interesting to look at.  A young woman is wandering through a house with a flashlight, and there are pig motifs everywhere.  I hope we're not going TOO close to a female victim/pig comparison...uh oh.  

Animated credit sequence.  With Women dressed as pigs.  Being killed by a guy wearing a butcher costume.  Not sure about this anymore.  But, again, villain as butcher/victim as pig isn't necessarily a direct conversation on gender roles...if you take the gender roles out of it, it works as an admittedly simplistic horror film character dynamic.  

The basic premise seems to be ten women with no real connection are at a house on Spektor Island-one of whom was apparently the victim of the opener, who survived her fall off the cliff with amnesia-apparently without microphones.  The production values are low, but that isn't enough for me to write it off just yet: the whole thing is staged a lot like a play, but a little bit of reasoning on who these Women are and why they're here would not be amiss.  One of them is apparently some sort of realtor(maybe) who is mean.  There's a Doctor, a butch young woman...the only one we seem to have a reason for is a model who showed up for a photoshoot.  What doesn't quite track, though, is why she sticks around or why she asks no questions when she finds it ISN'T a photoshoot. 

Undaunted by their lack of connection or understanding of their space, they decide to throw a party.  Okay.  It's shot well, and is actually pretty good looking for a film with so little concern for internal logic.  The party scene-one continuous wrap-around shot-portrays the party in swing, with the actors changing locations and mental states as the camera moves away for them.  It's not bad.  I've seen a strong director make more out of less than this.  

The musician-apparently here to perform for a wedding that isn't there-plays a special song the bride and groom sent here, which is a silly sounding but clearly prophetic little ditty about "little piggies" and their misadventures with a butcher.  It's interrupted by the now-drugged model, also now naked, running down the other Women.  It's a difficult scene.  

It appears the key to this whole thing really is in that "experimental" thing.  A lot of the performances feel somewhat improvised, as if maybe the cast isn't really entirely sure of what's going to happen themselves, like experimental theater.  I have no idea if this is actually the case, but it really feels that way.  If I had any idea if that is actually what's happening here I'd be far more inclined to dig it.

Apparently, the girl from the opener is in on it.  She got paid a whole $120 for her services...and, uh, had her neck snapped by one of the other characters for scaring the others...um, what?  What is happening here?  Some of these Women are okay actresses, others are surely not.  I'm not sure if these actors are even being directed, though...this whole thing is just way too weird.  It's certainly different.  To put it mildly.

I don't...I don't know how to continue writing this.  None of this is following any sort of rational rules or any sort of sensible direction...but it isn't surreal or anything like that, just weird and maybe(?) inept.  There's some visual ability to the directorial style: lots of interesting angles and uses of color.  The blocking, performances, and costumes seem like they were be more at home on stage.  But there's not a lot of coherent writing going on.  A lot of existential (and cliche) nonsense being spouted, but no characterization or plot.  

Good lord, a weird flashback saying the characters are spies, and none of them are who they appear to be...which is fine, I suppose, except that it doesn't quite bring all the information together.  What does any of that have to do with the murders?  Little late to spring a new plot development into this thing, but they're going for it, I guess.  Russians now?  Jesus.  This thing just got a whole lot weirder. 

I really just have no idea any more.  Suddenly there's some pretty broad comedy being tossed out...what is happening here?!

Final Thoughts: I think, in an alternate universe, there was a good film here.  There's a basic murder-mystery story with a little bit of social commentary and existential musing deep down inside of this messy, amateurish but occasionally spirited and stylish(albeit low budget style) cinematic car crash.  What a weird film.  Really.

Final Rating: 2 stars.