A Color Wheel (Alex Ross Perry, 2011) : USA

A film reviewed by Jim Burns at the AFI Film Festival 2011.

The Color Wheel is an angry, mean spirited comedy that explores the relationship between two siblings that share a very dark and quick witted sense of humor, as well as a general dislike for most people they encounter. They also share an inability to gain social acceptance within their own circle of friends and both have serious relationship issues that give way for a very complex and disturbingly funny movie.

Carlen Altman gives an amazing performance as the sister J.R., whose heart has just been broken by her lover/professor.  Her quick wit and edgy personality made me think her character could have been related to Ellen Paige’s character in the film Juno. Miss Altman gives a very smart and sexy performance that is sure to bring her plenty of well-deserved attention for future roles. The role of Colin, her obnoxious brother, was played by her co-writer and director of the film, the very funny Alex Ross Perry. Perry’s comedic timing and under the breath delivery was sometimes offensive but always funny. His performance was very honest and he made it very easy to empathize with his character. Perry’s character is the nerdy, pushover brother that has plenty of his own social and sexual frustrations to deal with. His character is an extremely non-confrontational guy that on occasions delivers some of the nastiest, most personal dialogue directed at his sister in regards to her struggling relationship with their parents.

The film was filled with smart dialogue and solid performances by both of the lead actors, as well as the supporting cast. Every scene in this film had a purpose and the pace was perfect. The movie was shot in black and white, and that added to the complexity of this story and its controversial ending. During the Q and A, Perry said he wanted the film to look like a grainy photo. I definitely feel like he was very successful in accomplishing this goal. He was also very successful at delivering many awkward moments and not giving the audience a typical Hollywood ending.

Also during the Q and A, there was a very funny exchange between the director and a very unhappy screener. The screener originally asked a question in regards to the director’s choices in ending the film. When the director made his case and explained his particular choice that had offended the women, the screener became even more irate and kept repeating herself with her very thick foreign accent, not allowing the Q and A to continue. At one point, a voice in the crowd started mocking the women drawing laughs from everyone except for her, of course. As the Q and A continued, or at least attempted to, every couple of minutes the women would disrupt the conversation with her same original concerns, and each time she did this, the big mocking voice would return with some of the filthiest but funniest suggestions, drawing even bigger laughs from the audience. As this continued, I started to realize that the voice getting all the laughs was a very familiar one and an obvious pro. It turned out the voice belonged to Jeff Garland, who is best known for his role as Larry David’s agent Jeff Green in Curb Your Enthusiasm. I can’t repeat what he said to the women without revealing the ending to this film, but I can tell you I have a new found respect for Mr. Garland and it was admirable to not only see him there as a film lover but also seeing him come to the defense of a young filmmaker and his artistic freedom to end a movie however he sees fit. This film is not for everyone, but I am convinced that most truly original films aren’t meant to be enjoyed by the masses.