Rubber Review

Movie: Rubber
By: Vincent van Gore
Date: May 12, 2011

Life itself is filled with no reason.

No matter which top is spun, it is a gnashing truth. Marlon Brando's oracular razor blade trail of slime across steel stomach, lead writer/director Quentin Dupieux to an abandoned tire, interred by a junkyards sandy afterthought. Under a microscopic lens, he raptly procured the most unnoticed factor of cinema, in letterbox format. His sweet tooth knew the odds, and waived an embellished cavity for the whistle blowers to honk at. The 'no reason'. It is an acquired taste, and rare occurrence when magnified to this scale of realism, and should be relished at once. Since most film students can't see past skin, Quentin brought his binoculars to show and tell. Take a look.

Rubber

starring Stephen Spinella, Jack Plotnick, Roxane Mesquida, Wings Hauser, David Bowe, and introducing Robert AKA Bob the Tire; is a capricious French fantasy released in 2010. Worthy of numerous titles, but none more suitable than daring. In a market that is growing evermore clogged by disfigurement of originality, we unwrap a fastidious journey, from a disregarded locale, at an highly unlikely date. When an arcane big cheese, orders a frustrated accountant to showcase a "film" in California to an unsuspecting crowd, an inanimate tire named Robert is born. Behind rainbow tinted binoculars, the audience is left behind, viewing his killing spree from afar to avoid irritation, and keep from adding to the bloodshed.

Robert is a bloodthirsty killer, with a contiguous hunger. This can easily be forgotten, but should never leave the nostrils without crumbs. Due to us being present at his birth, we envelop an attachment early on. To behold the downright elation he expresses from drawing first blood, is like a smile from your child. He sleeps, drinks, showers, and breathes like the rest of us. He's no "rubber shit", why, he's really not so dissimilar from you, or I. Except he can also harness the production, or control, of motion in inanimate and remote objects, by the exercise of psychic powers. Doesn't that just blow your mind? A more interesting fact I have found is his love for the television, and its daytime aerobics channel..

I was coloured bright-eyed once I felt the prick of frosted La Nouvelle Vague, with an anarchy symbol over a signed Godard poster. Like carbonation while green about the gills, it was alleviating to not eyeball another French film one up itself with nonsensical brutality, and in lieu of the reasoning, showcase the highlights that were once honourable. The tire footage was immaculate, and fluently thorough. I couldn't spy one string, or halfhearted push upon my multiple viewings. The choice to amplify sound, and almost replace all dialogue was nothing short of an inverted narrative, stroke of wizardry. Robert slowly rolling over a water bottle, gently applying pressure until the lid pops off, backed by a multitude of plastic crackles emulating the victims broken bones, being a great example.

The soundtrack is worth the letter to mem mem, thanks to the hard work of collaborators Gaspard Augé(of the French music duo Justice) & Mr. Oizo(a pseudonym used by Quentin Dupieux). After one viewing, I trolled the internet low and left for an available copy of the OST, and will not throw towels until I have located one. Even when watching amongst derided patrons whom detested Bob, we all cheered for the soundtracks contagious tunes. By the end credits, I could see in everyone's eyes that it was Saturday night, toes were tapping, and asses were shaking like Travolta. Daft.. Who? Welcome to Hollywood.

This film is a breathtaking, step forward in "horror" due to its bold shooting, and almost immediate stranglehold on stargazers to root for the villain. Don't let the overwhelming negative reception beguile you from all Rubber has to offer. A shining memento, and open heartstring-surgery on heritage, it is on for the ages. Ill-starred most people will under no circumstances, avow that a picture basing itself on the 'no reason' law of cinema, starring a maniacal tire, could breach superiority. Or even mediocrity, for that matter. If a picture is worth a thousand words, than your sphere of influence will be shitting all of them by 00:01:23. But in the end, we all know the only two that matter. Quentin Dupieux.

'The film you are about to see today is an homage to the no reason. That most powerful element of style.'

DVD REVIEW

Image quality

Good quality 16:9 image size for the dvd. It falls a bit short looking enhanced while watching it on your HD flatscreen. But all in all a good looking movie.

Sound

Good sound quality in a 5.1Dolby Digital track. Everything is neatly done in the sound department every crisp of the tire running through the sand can be heard.

Extras

No extras

Overall

While the movie is sharp and direct, it is a shame that no extras were included on the disc. It would have been a solid 4 star disc no it has to seatle with less.

Zeno Pictures