FUN
A film review by Sam Leininger
Copyright 1994 Sam Leininger
Director: Rafal Zielinski Cast: Alicia Witt, Renee Humphrey, William Moses, Leslie Hope Written by James Bolsey from his play Rating: No MPAA rating (violence, language) Sundance Grand Jury awards to Alicia Witt and Renee Humphrey No distributor as of Oct. 21, 1994
In a nutshell: FUN is a sometimes disturbing but excellent look at the effects of physical and psychological violence. On a scale of -4 to +4, I give it a +3.8.
Bonnie and Hilary are two teenage girls (played by Alicia Witt and Renee Humphrey, respectively) who in one day meet, become best friends, and kill an old lady. We meet them in jail as they are interviewed by the prison psychologist and a sleazy magazine reporter, revealing their relationship and the events of the day.
The duality of this picture on so many different levels makes the film really come together as a whole. Bonnie and Hilary have both experienced abuse as younger girls, but both in a different way. Bonnie has become a compulsive liar from a total lack of attention, and Hilary was sexually abused by her father. The two girls both have deep problems from their past, which is what bonds them, but the two girls are very different. Hilary is able to express her feelings, and even writes poetry, whereas Bonnie, who is *very* hyperactive, has buried her problems so deep that the truth will probably never come out. Alicia Witt and Renee Humphrey are absolutely fabulous, and have characters that are very well constructed and deeper than most female roles in film. The two main characters are just part of the dual nature in this film.
The prison interviews are shot in black and white in a very documentary-type style. Throughout the film, flashbacks in color take us back to the day that Bonnie and Hilary had fun. The two "personalities" that the different styles take on create a whole image that is greater than the sum of the parts. The color flashbacks are more frantic, more excitable. With the first flashback, we see the end of the day -- Bonnie and Hilary are getting into bed to go to sleep, and each flashback goes further and further back, creating great anticipation for what you know is coming. This style, and the talk of Bonnie and Hilary, pull out lots of different emotions as you follow them on their day. At first, there is a certain excitement associated with the murder, and when Bonnie and Hilary finally kill the lady, the stark horror really hits home. They stab her thirty-four times, and show the death in real time. This is a very graphic and powerful scene, and is much more real than, say, the violence in "Pulp Fiction." This one act of violence is so raw and blunt, nothing needs to be said.
In a society and industry that feeds on the glorification of violence, it is refreshing to see a film that uses violence to show the value of life, or rather of wasted life -- Bonnie's and Hilary's as well as the old lady's. Bonnie and Hilary are as much victims as the old lady is, and none of the three will be saved, but maybe if people watch this film, they will think a little more about how precious life is at any age.
This film was made on the scraping up of money, and is very raw. Zielinski explained that when he was making the film, he finished it without outside investors, and added that "sometimes less is more." There is no Dolby Surround Sound, the black and white footage was shot on 16mm, and the film has a more personal feel; there is more of a connection between the characters, the director, and the audience. "Fun" makes the girls a part of you, and you don't easily forget them. "Fun" is a film that sticks with you days after you see it. You think about it and remember it, which is good, very good.
The sad thing about this film is that it isn't yet picked up by a major distributor, and currently only showing at festivals. I recommend that anyone who has the chance to see this film, *do not* pass it up.
Sam Leininger gt1128c@prism.gatech.edu
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