Doll factory + dysfunctional love triangle + generic American town = murder. Although not the typical cinematic formula, Steven Soderbergh's latest, "Bubble," works wonders with all four.
Set in West Virginia, "Bubble" tells the tale of overweight, middle-aged Martha (Debbie Doebereiner) and post-adolescent Kyle (Dustin James Ashley), two doll-factory workers who form an unlikely friendship over lunch breaks and rides home after work. Neither has much to come home to - Martha takes care of her elderly dad and Kyle smokes pot in his bedroom while his unemployed mom watches TV. Both complacently accept the nickel-and-dime existence that keeps many real Americans working two or three minimum wage jobs to get by.
Everything turns upside down, however, when young and pretty factory newcomer Rose (Misty Dawn Wilkins) makes the pair a threesome, throwing off a tenuous, underlying emotional balance. The quirky human drama quickly becomes a mystery when murder shakes the town, forcing the audience to reassess its perceptions about Soderbergh's characters and their motivations.
"Bubble" is the first of six high-definition films Soderbergh is slated to direct for television network HDNet, all of which he says will examine American life. As part of a media experiment of sorts, HDNet will simultaneously release each film in theaters, on DVD and on HDNet's movie network, where they will be available to subscribers.
"Bubble" was released for sale on DVD and shown twice on HDNet on Jan. 27, when it opened in theaters. According to HDNet co-founder Mark Cuban in a press release, the triple-release strategy is meant to give consumers more options on how to see a new movie - i.e., having the option of enjoying opening night in a home theater instead of the local Multiplex.
Opposed to Soderbergh's flashy, more stylized "Out of Sight" and "Ocean's 11," "Bubble" gets high marks for painful realism. The entirely non-actor cast, barely made-up, shuffles around fluorescent light-bathed sets that may as well be their real factories and trailer parks. Stripped of flair and presumption, the characters halt from one palpably awkward moment to the next. The dialogue is natural to the point of improvisation, but telling glances through windows and over break tables reveal far more plot than conversations between characters.
Woven between it all are the omnipresent images of the doll factory - molds, rubber legs and sinister detached heads without eyes - which both remind everyone watching "Bubble" that the factory workers are nearly identical to what they're creating and contribute to an overall sense of discomfort, not unlike that felt by those with a phobia of clowns. Much like a horrible car crash, it's impossible to take one's eyes from such fantastically constructed ugliness.
Most of all, "Bubble" should be celebrated for its simplicity. At 73 minutes long, it's bare bones filmmaking that still leaves the audience wondering whodunit until at least three-quarters through. Soderbergh proves that glitzy sets and high production value aren't prerequisites for a compelling human tale, and more directors should take note.
Now playing at Landmark E Street. Check www.landmarktheatres.com for directions and showtimes.
