This is an interesting indie film with some names that might stand out. New technological pathways open up all sorts of avenues for bad behavior. The film is done as an ensemble piece with about three major plotlines that intersect.
Director Henry Rubin, of Murderball fame, had some interesting things to say. He’d never directed a narrative feature, as he was known for his documentary work. When he planned out the cameras, he made sure to keep them as far back as possible so as not to intrude on the acting spaces. The film uses long lenses primarily and has a voyeuristic feel to it, much like the pervasive Internet that connects these people. Viewing it makes one a partner in crime, watching the intimate lives of people without their knowledge, or seeming consent.
The film pits technological lives against real lives, and it climaxes in the realm of the real, removed and disconnected from that disconnecting force that is so pervasive. Technology tends to pull people apart as much as it brings them together, with odd habits elevated to be new norms of behavior.
The film flattened out just prior to the final act, and seemed to slow down to a near tedious level. This didn’t last long, however, and it does tie up the various storylines. It’s a stylish indie drama that asks us to reconsider our various fractured personalities and to reassess our online behaviors.
