Have you ever had one of those "Do you think we're alone in the universe?" conversations with a friend? Or how about, "Do you think we could exist in infinite dimensions?" Well, I suspect Sara Eustáquio has. She made a film and called
it Hazel...
Sara is what you could call a 'thinking' filmmaker. She likes to mess with our minds while entertaining. She's a student at Calarts in California and I believe Hazel was a class project. At six minutes, it's fun, thought provoking and well put together. In the age of the Zombie Apocalypse films, it's a refreshing change!
Hazel opens with a heady quote from Milton, "The mind is its own place and in itself, can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven." We see five college friends fence hopping at night, into somebody's backyard. With no one home, the kids take a dip in the pool and help themselves to booze from the bar. One of the girls, Hazel, played by Gabrielle Galloway (who bears a striking resemblance to Clint Eastwood's long-time girlfriend, Sondra Locke), lays back on the grass and begins star gazing. A boy, Elias, played by Garrett Gallego, moves in next to her. "They all keep saying I'm crazy. Wanna know what is crazy?" she begins. "Living day in day out, oblivious to the tiniest little things. I think we aren't alone..." He turns to her, "Hazel, you're monologuing again."
A moment later, Addy (Sofia Rahaniotis) steps over. "They all keep saying I'm crazy..." Hazel says again, turning to her, "Wanna know what crazy is?" she says, repeating the monologue. Startled by a noise, Addy turns over her shoulder to see a second version of Hazel rattling the fence. "I think we aren't alone," Hazel continues. Suddenly we see the pool filled with multiple ghostly versions of Hazel. It's cryptic and creepy and unsettling. I especially loved the absence of a musical score, opting instead for exaggerated foley and eerie sounds. Throughout the film we actually hear Hazel's voice repeating, "They think I'm crazy..." Nicely done.
A good film is one that successfully delivers. Sara came up with a cool concept and pulled it off. The pacing and flow was spot on.
Typically, I gauge the depth of my review to what I believe to be the ability of the filmmaker. Sara did a great job and I'd love to see what she could do with two hours. I would, though, like to see a closer eye to detail and a little more effort to create polish. I would like more time spent on table reads to create more natural sounding dialogue. Hazel saying, "You still went inside the pool," or Addy following with, "Guys, there's a bar. Do you think they left any drinks outside?" sounds a little awkward and unnatural and could be tweaked.
For the most part the camera work and sound design are very good. When I don't hear obvious issues with foley and ADR, I know everybody's done their job. My only complaint was the decision not to light the bar. Just because the RED has great low light capabilities is no excuse not to set up lights. The result was flat, grey and grainy... not up to the standards of the rest of the project.
Again, I point these things out because I know Sara has already picked up on them and cringed, herself, which is what makes a great filmmaker. These are not issues that make or break a film, they are merely distractions. The fewer distractions, the more engaged we are as viewers. Hazel is truly a great project, Sara... and thanks for sharing it with the festival. I definitely look forward to your next!
Brian Lutes/World Premiere Film Awards
