Review: Particles of Truth
A Bi-Polar Fairy Tale: Jennifer Elster's Paen to Living at your Illogical Extremes
"Spoiler Warning!"
..........Lilli Black is a character that's far too familiar. That's what make this movie wonderful. Her struggle to move beyond her twisted upbringing, and her fear that she wears its effects like a sign, are the essence of modern angst. We all know what it's like to grow up with a family that's less than TVLand ideal. We all fear failing. We all want Prince Charming to see through the tough shell we wear around ourselves, even if our savior is a scruffy, obsessive-compulsive writer. Who am I kidding --especially if he's a scruffy author with OCD -- as long as he looks like Morrison Wiley.
..........My inherent bias where actor Gale Harold is concerned is legend at this point. He is brilliantly cast in this role - few actors have the kind of fragile beauty Gale portrays. I'm always amazed that a guy his size can seem so delicate and vulnerable. You'd swear he was born with a broken heart.
............I have to be honest that I have a natural bias for Jennifer as well, if only because we had the same majors in school. It takes a special brand of twisted to combine Creative Writing and Psychology. You have to be desperate to find out what's wrong with you and compulsive about telling everyone about it. I'm sure there are others, but the only other occurence of that I've encountered was Sharon Stones's character in Basic Instinct, and she was most definitely twisted. So I expected great things from Ms. Elster, and she didn't disappoint.
..........The visuals in Particles of Truth are dark and stunning. Much of the message is written on walls, shown in books, or written by Morrison. If you don't pay attention, you'll miss some of the best lines in the film. My favorite:
..........The use of color is interesting. There's a lot of black and white around Lilli, in keeping with the symbology of her name. It emphasizes both the bipolar mind set - "I love myself, I hate myself" - as well as her being cut off from her emotions. She tries hard not to let life touch her any more than it already has. She describes her parents as "two 16 year old degenerates" and the excesses of the flesh are usually tinted various shades of red, culminating in the the almost neon glow of a brutal attempted rape. Lilli's roommate is suffering spiritual delusions, represented as a sickly yellow.
.......... Morrison's color is green - he may be dysfunctional, but he has potential for growth in himself and for her. After they meet, Lilli's stark black and white become earthier browns and blacks - she can't cut herself off from the world any more. . Those who "fall apart" in the 48 hours end in black - depression from loss of faith (the roommate), death from AIDS (her Dad), despair of being nothing anyone wants (Morrison's Dad) , madness from a life out of control (her Mom) the awful prospect of Cancer (Morrison's Mom). Morrison makes the effort to shave, dress up and to step out into the world for Lilli. Lilli's redemption is the view of the bright sky through the sun roof of Morrison's car.
..........In true bipolar fashion, I could easily have taken a different view of the story. My Inner Critic screamed the entire time, because Lilli and Jennifer both represent a cultural ideal - Lilli the flawed yet ultimately triumphant heroine, Jennifer, the downtown girl - Thin, pretty and painfully talented and accomplished. They are both what women in our society are expected to be, though most of us cannot. In my more cynical moods, I could say Lilli is rewarded for her looks. We get lingering shots of Morrison watching her walk away. Are we supposed to think he sees through to her soul, or is he just checking out her ass? If Lilli were 30 pounds heavier, would Morrison still roll down his window or would he keep driving? Do we have to resist the hot, sticky "red" parts of our lives to be worthy of his cool, green and white purity? Would a gallery show Lilli's work if she were unattractive? Would a guy with a germ phobia really kiss a chick who just threw up? And what are these skinny white chicks so depressed about? My Inner Critic needs a Valium and a shot of Tequila. Maybe two...
..........In Psychology they teach you that in a crowded room, the two people with the complimentary dysfuntions will find each other. The masochist will find the sadist; the dominant will find the submissive. Lilli and Morrison find each other for a reason. She has to help him go into the world because his parents are about to go through a hell that's just getting started at the end of the movie. Lilli's been through hell, and needs a little peace. Morrison is a gentle, attentive, loner-- a nice change from the chaos and neglect of Lilli's family life. In 21st century New York, Cinderella's on Prozac, but she's still Cinderella. She gets her prince, she conquers her inner demons and she gives us hope.
Bottom line: I loved this movie.
M.S. 12/17/03
