Review: One Night Only
Black Box (Stephen Cone, USA, 2013, 84 min)
Micro-Wave Cinema Series, Sunday, September 14, 4070 Vilas Hall, 7:00pm»
I certainly could have been more prompt in getting this review out, rather than waiting until the day of the screening. But one nice thing about waiting is that I can call your attention to a profile of filmmaker Stephen Cone by Michael Phillips in the Chicago Tribune this week. “We all have our own rhythm and pace. And I’ve been building something here,” Cone says about his work in Chicago at the conclusion of the piece, which reminded me about how important what Brandon Colvin is building with Micro-Wave Cinema. Not only will Madison get to see micro-budgeted features like Cone’s Black Box, we will also have the opportunity to talk with filmmakers, in person in the case of tonight’s screening. Those who can make it to the screening to night will see a confidently directed independent feature by a filmmaker who knows how to get the most out of a range of actors and acting styles.
Holly (Josephine Decker) is a theater graduate student assigned to direct a black box production with freshman acting students. Ignoring her advisor’s suggestion to focus exclusively on directing by using an available script, Holly insists on an original adaptation of The Reaper’s Children, a novel that Holly admits is cheesy but had significance for her during her childhood. Holly assembles her cast: Brandon (Nick Vidal) a bisexual with a penchant for pushing buttons; Madeline (Jaclyn Hennell) a reserved Catholic girl fresh out of home schooling (in Madison!); Adam (Alex Weisman) a not-well-closeted gay youth beginning to figure things out; Eddie (Dennis William Grimes), an older returning student who must balance school and married life; and Terra (Elaine Ivy Harris) a brash young woman whose first question about the script at rehearsal is, “So, this is supposed to be bad, right?” Just imagining those characters thrown together, you can probably anticipate some of the conflicts and developments during the rehearsal process, and perhaps Cone pursues a few too many of those easy targets.
The film is at its best when dealing with the creative process, when people have to work together and have faith in each other to make things work. In one particularly strong scene, Brandon rejects Holly’s suggestions because she seems to be contradicting her own instructions in the script. When she suggests other ways to think about the same script instructions, he still refuses to make other choices other than his own first instincts. When she stops the scene again, Brandon blurts out, “Have you thought that maybe its not me, that it’s the script? That it’s going to sound bad no matter who’s acting it?” Everything comes to a halt, as Brandon has insulted not only the source material but also the whole premise behind everyone’s hard work. As Holly works through both the conflict and the scene to eventually produce a satisfactory result, we see an interesting dynamic as viewers of the film. The actress, Josephine Decker, needs to do what the character Holly is asking Brandon to do: change tactics. The actors of Black Box must work together to convince us that the actors of The Reaper’s Children are working together and developing. The creation of a drama, even a cheesy one, is itself a drama with passions and conflicts, group dynamics and personal growth.
One is never quite sure what to think about The Reaper’s Children, the source material or the adaptation. Holly takes it very seriously, as does the film (quotes from the fictional book serve as chapter-break intertitles). But what’s important for Black Box to work is that everyone involved must make a commitment to it and to each other if the production is going to have any kind of real significance.
The film takes an unexpected turn with the arrival of the author of The Reaper’s Children, William Peters (Austin Pendleton). One can forgive the contrived reasoning behind Peters’s arrival and extended stay, because Pendleton gives every scene he’s in a jolt of energy and an air of mystery. I’m not sure if Pendleton is a great actor in a traditional sense, but he has an amazing screen presence and impact on each scene. With a very light touch he provides every line with the weight of a lived life. His eyes when Peters watches the dress rehearsal are magnificently expressive as they answer some questions and raise new ones. Again, an interesting dynamic is created between the characters and the actors. William Peters always seems different from everyone else in the room, and Austin Pendleton’s performance style is always just a bit different from the other actors in the scene. Cone is able to utilize that energy to produce several scenes that are lively without much actual movement.
As you know if you have followed the link to the Chicago Tribune profile, Cone is busy these days, and he will stay busy in the coming months as he premieres new films and completes his new feature, Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party. Based on Black Box, I hope that he can maintain his high level of productivity, and that we will be able to see his upcoming projects here on Madison screens.