What is Mumblecore?

The loose team of film school filmmakers known as Mumblecore (see link for primary players) were smart and didn't write a manifesto or demand adherence to their cult of filmmaking. What the term unofficially references is a belief in character driven storytelling with an extremely basic aesthetic. The films often rely on handheld camera-work but never veer into nausea inducing shaky cam style. To be honest (and simplistic), this is filmmaking for the lit crit crowd.

In large part, Mumblecore seems to be focused on the analysis of communication. Ten years ago this may have been well tread ground but today we have cell phones, text messages, emails, and the Web. Combine the net-cloud with cheap, lightweight cameras, add the exuberance of youth and you have Mumblecorp. Thankfully, even if other aspects of these productions are rough (intentional or not), the filmmakers recognize and respect that we need to have clear sound, and I thank all the filmmakers for acknowledging that.

Mumblecore's heritage includes Yasujiro Ozu, John Cassavetes, Richard Linklater, and probably even Larry David -- those who have focused on the personal rather than the firecracker gunfights of standard cinema. Ozu invited us to the table as a family member, literally placing the camera at eye level to those seated at the table. Cassavetes gave us the family drama that cuts deep into the day-to-day of our personal lives. Linklater yanked the camera off the tripod and focused on the conversations of a new, youthful generation, and Larry David drove this sensibility further with a loose story structure that finds its humor in the improv sequences that make up the meat of his TV show. After that, then, what new ground did this new brigade of filmmakers have to exploer?

A small list of films within the Mumblecore genre that show growth and willingness to move beyond their predecessors starts with the film blessed by the indie historian and alchemist, Ray Carney:

The Puffy Chair. This film offers no easy answers and focuses on the intricacies and difficulties of holding onto a relationship only because it's better than nothing. The puffy chair is the motivation of the film. Josh, the main character, wants it as a present for his father. He bought it online and his brother and girlfriend tag along to pick it up.

Four Eyed Monsters is a look at young love, or at least a young relationship. The film hinges on the main characters, Susan and Arin (also the writers and directors), and their need to converse through any mode other than verbal. Much like those hair raising, note-passing relationships in fourth grade, the main characters are so shy that they fall back on that as a way to move their relationship forward. The film is polished and adventurous with smart additions of animation. I'm not sure if this is an "official" Mumblecore film, or even if there is such a thing, but if it's not it should be.

Nights and Weekends is a film I am very interested in but have yet to see. Following after Hannah Takes the Stairs, the film once again stars the talent behind the camera and this time is rumored to have graphic frontal nudity and non-simulated coupling. There is a growing trend to allow actors the freedom to open themselves up physically, as well as mentally, onscreen all the while retaining their actor title rather than being relegated to porn status. I've heard rumblings that the MPAA and the indie circuit are looking to promote more NC-17 films and this could be one of the first volleys from that arena.

Quiet City is the imminently watchable love story of just-off-the train Jamie who asks New Yorker Charlie for directions. While awaiting a text message from her friend, she finds an open invitation from Charlie into his closed-off apartment and life. The film gives the Mumblecore aesthetic a Terrence Malick sensibility, allowing the film's fragile tone to be set by the subtle camera cues, including the establishing shots and extreme close-ups. The film is simple, sensitive, and for the most part, upbeat.

The Mumblecore link at the beginning of this article list the primary players of the new post film-school set, but there are a few names I felt were missing from that write-up. Greta Gerwig brings solid game to the table as writer, director and actor. I expect to see more from her on both sides of the camera. Arin Crumley and Susan Buice both showed considerable talent in the above mentioned Four Eyed Monsters. Andrew Reed, cinematographer for both Dance Party, USA and Quiet City, shows an obvious ease behind the camera in his ability to find elegant angles that are warm and unique. I can see a clear lineage to such masters as Christopher Doyle, Vittorio Storaro, and John Toll.

Whether the Mumblecore moniker continues or the filmmakers move on, I'm happy to see a new generation fresh out of filmschool struggling to find their own voice within the language of film.

Recommend (0) |

Comments (0) |

Email  |

Share

Share  Facebook Digg del.icio.us