PARK CITY -- As the gap between fact and fiction filmmaking has narrowed during the past few years, more and more films can only be categorized as documentary-feature hybrids. Two examples of what is becoming an evolving genre are on display this year at the Sundance Film Festival: Stephen Marshall's This Revolution and Travis Wilkerson's Who Killed Cock Robin? Both fictional features were written and directed by documentarians using cinema verite techniques. They follow in the wake of two docudrama hits that brought in solid boxoffice returns last year: Touching the Void and the Sundance entry Open Water, films shot by documentarians who were frustrated by the limitations of by-the-book film journalism. In addition, such filmmakers as Michael Apted, Werner Herzog and Jonathan Demme now routinely move back and forth between features and docus.
- 1/27/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
PARK CITY -- Who Killed Cock Robin? is an American Dogme film without the certificate. Amateur acting, all improvisation, no lights, no tripod, the use of whatever camera writer-director-editor-cinematographer Travis Wilkerson gets his hands on -- it's as bad as it sounds. The music, however, is a different story. A potent mix of folk and old union songs with a Midwestern flavor, the music has the authenticity and dramatic kick the film so desperately lacks.
The movie's only likely theatrical exposure will come in alternative cinema venues and festival showings.
Wilkerson recruited three musicians to play the three main characters, all of whom live in the decaying mining town of Butte, Mont., where Wilkerson partially grew up. Barrett Miller plays a young man in a dead-end job who loves music but suffers from his father's abandonment years before. The only memento he has is a treasured guitar he believes to be his dad's. Charlie Parr plays Barrett's landlord, who tries to help and guide the aimless youth. Dylan Wilkerson, the filmmaker's brother, plays Barrett's childhood buddy.
When Barrett gets off from his dishwashing job in a restaurant, he mostly sits around with Charlie and Dylan, throwing back beers and occasionally chewing over leftist union politics with historical references going back to the Depression and World War II eras.
Then, for some unexplored reason, Barrett steals a beer from a convenience store, gets thrown into jail and -- presumably, since the film isn't clear -- loses his job. He can't pay his rent, so Charlie throws him out. Barrett gets angry and drunk, unsuccessfully attacks Charlie and is last seen mooching a drink from Dylan.
The most rudimentary elements of storytelling get ignored. Wilkerson never bothers to establish motives. The camerawork is deliberately awful, and, of course, lighting is nonexistent. To be blunt, this movie makes your eyes sore.
WHO KILLED COCK ROBIN?
An Extremely Low Frequency production
Credits:
Director-writer-director of photography: Travis Wilkerson
Producer: Susan Fink
Additional photography: Alice Lovejoy, Daniel Brantley
Music: Charlie Parr, If Thousands, Alan Sparhawk
Editors: Travis Wilkerson, Tara Young, Daniel Brantley
Cast:
Barrett: Barrett Murphy
Charlie: Charlie Parr
Dylan: Dylan Wilkerson
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 86 minutes...
The movie's only likely theatrical exposure will come in alternative cinema venues and festival showings.
Wilkerson recruited three musicians to play the three main characters, all of whom live in the decaying mining town of Butte, Mont., where Wilkerson partially grew up. Barrett Miller plays a young man in a dead-end job who loves music but suffers from his father's abandonment years before. The only memento he has is a treasured guitar he believes to be his dad's. Charlie Parr plays Barrett's landlord, who tries to help and guide the aimless youth. Dylan Wilkerson, the filmmaker's brother, plays Barrett's childhood buddy.
When Barrett gets off from his dishwashing job in a restaurant, he mostly sits around with Charlie and Dylan, throwing back beers and occasionally chewing over leftist union politics with historical references going back to the Depression and World War II eras.
Then, for some unexplored reason, Barrett steals a beer from a convenience store, gets thrown into jail and -- presumably, since the film isn't clear -- loses his job. He can't pay his rent, so Charlie throws him out. Barrett gets angry and drunk, unsuccessfully attacks Charlie and is last seen mooching a drink from Dylan.
The most rudimentary elements of storytelling get ignored. Wilkerson never bothers to establish motives. The camerawork is deliberately awful, and, of course, lighting is nonexistent. To be blunt, this movie makes your eyes sore.
WHO KILLED COCK ROBIN?
An Extremely Low Frequency production
Credits:
Director-writer-director of photography: Travis Wilkerson
Producer: Susan Fink
Additional photography: Alice Lovejoy, Daniel Brantley
Music: Charlie Parr, If Thousands, Alan Sparhawk
Editors: Travis Wilkerson, Tara Young, Daniel Brantley
Cast:
Barrett: Barrett Murphy
Charlie: Charlie Parr
Dylan: Dylan Wilkerson
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 86 minutes...
- 1/25/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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