|
By
TERESSA ELLIOTT
I'm ashamed to say that I don't like the Dogma (or Dogme) 95 films. Ashamed to admit it because as
a critic, I think I should like this new approach to filmmaking. After all, the focus (supposedly) is on the film itself
in Dogma 95 films, not on the special effects, lighting, hype etc. in which mainstream films traffic.
But the minimalist approach of "The King is Alive" and other Dogma 95 films leaves me cold -- no props (other than what
is found lying around), no special lighting and improvisation from the actors make these films seem less like films than
like an experiment foisted on the audience by the directors. And for me, the experiment fails.
In this film, a group of tourists are stranded in the desert and to pass the time, they perform the play "King Lear." I
don't know about you, but I think I would pass the time doing something other than performing a Shakespearean play. I
was interested in knowing the outcome of the film -- would they be rescued or not?--and since this wasn't a mainstream
film ala "Cast Away," the outcome was not a foregone conclusion. The acting is good, especially from Janet McTeer and
Jennifer Jason Leigh, but the improvisational quality of the acting at times grated on my nerves.
The DVD is also lacking in that there are no extras. But maybe that is also in keeping with the Dogma 95 creed. |
