Xixax Film Forum

FILM NO. 2 (2004) | DOWNLOAD (http://www.movieforums.com/gummly/film_2.mov)

written & directed by Matthew Clayfield
photographed & edited by Matthew Clayfield
original music by Daniel Dorobantu

featuring: Austin Andrews & Matthew Clayfield

See Also: Esoteric Rabbit Films (http://esotericrabbit.blogspot.com)

I like that.

I actually watched this when you posted it on your site a few weeks ago, SB, but never got around to providing any feedback.

Honestly, my initial reaction was a negative one; it felt narcisistic and somewhat whiny to me, and even a little bit pretentious. It wasn't until I realized that you didn't, in fact, star in it (something I had assumed) that it began to stand out as a film to me. It's clearly an introspective, autobiographical piece, but by casting someone else you've taken an interesting objective stance.

Still, a few parts still make me wince: the kid falling down, juxtaposed with the line of dialogue that occurs there, feels too calculated, and I felt there were too many shots of the lead actor in classic 'tortured young artist' poses. The bit about the push-ups really piqued my interest -- that was something new -- but it was barely touched upon.

Still, I remember you mentioning on your site that you only spent a day or so making it, and all things considered, you've got an interesting end product. I think the experience of viewing it, though, would be more interesting to people who know you, and who would wonder how much is fact and how much is fiction. It's a film that I think would be assisted by a subjective view point.

I have some comments, Ghostboy, but they're on my other computer, waiting to be copied and pasted.

I just didn't want you to think I wasn't replying because I wasn't appreciative of your reply.

The sound wasn't the best, which, for a constant Voice-Over film is not a very good thing. But it was an interesting exercise though.

yeah, i liked it

Quote from: ElPandaRoyalThe sound wasn't the best, which, for a constant Voice-Over film is not a very good thing.

That might have something to do with the QuickTime compression.

well, i thought it was really good.

Ghostboy:

I agree with you, for the most part. I can definitely understand it, for example, when you say that the film is probably of greater interest to those who know me personally than it is to everyone else. This is something I knew full well I'd have to face if I made the film the way I really wanted to and it was a risk I was willing to take.

Quote from: Ghostboyt felt narcisistic and somewhat whiny to me, and even a little bit pretentious.

That's something that I really wanted to avoid, but knew I probably wouldn't and couldn't. I tried to cover my tracks with the discussion of ego [and the fact that I've not got a big one], but the act of making a film about yourself renders discussions like that...well, sort of irrelevant. Which is a shame, because as I said, I really wanted to avoid that pretentious air.

Quote from: GhostboyIt wasn't until I realized that you didn't, in fact, star in it . . . that it began to stand out as a film to me. It's clearly an introspective, autobiographical piece, but by casting someone else you've taken an interesting objective stance.

I'm not sure if you ever read THIS (http://esotericrabbit.blogspot.com/2004_04_01_esotericrabbit_archive.html#108156760651409801) or not, but it's a bit of a discussion about the camera's "gaze" in the film and the fact that, as you said, it's not me starring as me. This was something I was very much aware of and something that I tried to make the formal discourse of the picture [big, "arty" words, I know]. After a while, the film's form actually became more important to me than its pseudo-autobiographical and narrative aspects.

Quote from: GhostboyIt's a film that I think would be assisted by a subjective view point.

You mean, like, someone else making a film about me or me making a film about someone else?

Certainly, the film would lose some of its pretentiousness, but the formal aspects that I've mentioned would probably lose some of their impact [or at least, the impact that I think they have]. It's not a perfect film, of course, and I'll be the first to admit it. While a subjective viewpoint might have made the film more appealing to a wider audience, I don't think it would have allowed me to explore some of the things that I did to the same extent as I was able to.

Your comments, of course, are greatly appreciated.

Quote from: The Silver Bullet

Quote from: GhostboyIt's a film that I think would be assisted by a subjective view point.

You mean, like, someone else making a film about me or me making a film about someone else?

Bad phrasing on my part. I meant that the viewing would benefit from a subjective POV -- I was just reiterating my earlier point about how it might be more interesting to people who know you, rather than an objective viewer like myself. I extrapolated this from the fact that I enjoyed it far more the second time I watched it, after I knew you weren't acting in it (the Q&A you linked to there was what inspired me to take another look, in fact -- I do enjoy reading your blog, btw).

Quote from: GhostboyI do enjoy reading your blog, btw

Thanks a lot, GB. I really respect your opinion.

:-D

really well shot and cut.  You can tell alot of creative and hard work was put into this...i just don't know why you had to make it about how your such a struggling artist, cause clearly your not...if it was shot really bad and just lazy, i think it would have been alot funnier...

Quote from: mdif it was shot really bad and just lazy, i think it would have been alot funnier...

I didn't really want it to be laugh-out-loud funny though. Humorously melancholy, perhaps, but not laugh-out-loud funny.

I loved the pushup segment. I do the same thing.
The final shot reminded me of a film by Arturo Ripstein  "Asi es la Vida" http://www.culturevulture.net/Movies2/SuchIsLife.htm where you actually see the director on a continues long shot in a room with a mirror as he walks towards the mirror with dolly. His image is reflected next to the camera operator just before the cut.

I liked it and also liked the Cahiers du Cinema detail... Over all Witty and neurasthenic, probably Von Trier's next tackle...

Are you gonna submit it at any fests?

Cheers mate.