directed by:
James Dubbeldam written by: James Dubbeldam genre: Drama |
If there's one thing I've learned from watching James Dubbeldam's work and the short films he creates, it's that he always creates something thought-provoking and worthwhile to watch. That high standard continues to hold true here in his latest, "Not Yesterday, Today!" Now, don't get me wrong, over the course of watching several of his films, I am also aware that some of his ideas will land in ways we can all catch, and others can be much more challenging to discern. That never particularly affects my level of interest – I'm always engaged by how he makes a film; it's just a matter of whether or not I'll actually get what he's going for by the time the credits roll. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't; I reckon that's the life of a filmmaker overall & their relationship with their critics. I feel like Dubbeldam would be a fascinating person to talk to in an interview - his work seems motivated by multiple factors, and it can often feel like the priorities of what he considers to be continually fluctuate.
You could look at "Not Yesterday, Today!" as a scathing indictment of how big-budget movies are cast. You could look at this film through the lens - that the mainstream puts kids in oversexualized situations before they're of an appropriate age to be in them. You could turn the mirror back towards the people as consumers and wonder about the role we play in what's being shown to us in a supply/demand type scenario. You could also look at everything from a very plain & unassuming viewpoint of acting as acting is acting, and if you sign up for the gig, be ready to take the ride. Maybe we all play parts we're not ready to play in life, no matter what we do. Maybe the idea that we take on any kind of regular job still requires us to be completely absorbed by the character that we'll need to play - in order to get through it. Maybe we all need to be more than one person, deep down. Do you see what I'm saying? Dubbeldam always makes you think. He's quite the writer when it comes right down to it, and he's pretty gifted when it comes to the art of directing inspired entertainment on a lower budget. I'll put it to you this way – whether I've ever fully understood one of his films, I've always been invested in what he's shown us from start to finish. "Not Yesterday, Today!" once again holds firm to his remarkable standards in that regard - and sent my brainwaves all over the place trying to figure out what he was really attempting to say here. It takes, like, no time at all to start becoming curious if you're watching closely – you'll see the lead character of Penelope (Jessica Welu) switched out right in front of you onscreen for a split-second, and you'll have to start wondering about why that is. Dubbeldam will continue to incorporate this concept more throughout the course of "Not Yesterday, Today!" and keep you guessing until he spells things out a little bit more directly by the time it's all over. Where things end up being a little more complex to examine - largely revolves around the execution of the acting in this particular film. Which, YES, is weird to comment on because it's something that is even brought up within "Not Yesterday, Today!" as well. Dubbeldam ends up putting things on the ol' proverbial double-edged sword here – to make the overall point he's making in this film, Jessica needs to act like she's somewhat uncomfortable in her role at all times – and to do that effectively, almost makes it feel like what we're seeing on our side of the screen could have somehow been done better. Make sense? You know what I mean? For Welu to play her role successfully essentially requires her to not play her role completely perfectly – which, to her credit, I feel she did really well. It's a very fine line to walk, and she did a good job with what's essentially an impossible task. By satisfying the script and doing what the film is calling for, she actually makes quite a sacrifice by taking on a role that's likely going to be misunderstood and/or misinterpreted by many out there watching. Give her credit, y'all – that's not an easy decision to make as an actor, and it's a character that many would have passed on - because it basically demands that you approach the part from a much more detached position.
Every director in town would want you to be present and in the moment, and to play Penelope correctly, you really have to go with the opposite approach, in my opinion. That's where the double-edged sword thing comes in, though, because it is a bit of a guessing game and largely left to our interpretation of what we see – and if we're wrong, or we don't get it, then there's a very good chance that instead of Welu's take on Penelope coming across, it'll fall flat instead. This brings me back to what I was saying earlier - about how Dubbeldam would make for an interesting fellow to talk to and learn more about what his priorities are. You'll see later down the road in "Not Yesterday, Today!" that he's still got the ultimate ace up his sleeve, with Nathalie Soto Cuzin coming in towards the end to play a younger version of Penelope…or perhaps, a truer version of Penelope would be the more accurate way to put it. In any event, she becomes the real lifeblood of this film, and becomes that very quickly – this is an effect that I've experienced before, because Nathalie has that intangible X-factor that money simply can't buy. Everything I've seen with her in it, she's been exceptional. Soto Cuzin continues to pop up in Dubbeldam's films as well, so clearly, he recognizes how uniquely gifted she is every bit as much as those of us watching from the other side of the screen would as well. Outside of the two versions of Penelope, Malika (Andrea McClew) brought a natural vibe to her role as an agent, and Sue (Susan Weinshanker) was almost 'too real' in playing the part of a big-time director. There are many folks who play a role in how actors find their way to the material that they do, and these are two solid examples of professionals who guide the younger generation to their place in the spotlight. As to whether or not they're right to do it the way they do, or if they care about the end results more than a paycheck, or consider the long-term repercussions of what a role can mean to the career of an actor overall…well…I think that's the fun part of watching a film like this one. It's for us to decide. It's definitely more stellar work from Dubbeldam, though – I'm going with four outta five stars for sure. Nice work. |
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