Fabled

There is a certain bias when it comes to foreign films in America. American critics cut foreign films more slack. If you have a film in French and it has no discernible plot and is very interpretive, then it is considered artistic, abstract and everything was intentional.

Now if an American made the same film in English, then that film is labeled vague, meandering, and the filmmakers were unable to make it complex, especially without being pretentious.

It is a double standard.

Don't believe me? Okay, how about this. Take Hero - Make it in English, with Bruce Willis instead of Jet Li and have it take place in the old west, but otherwise the exact same film. In fact, let the same director direct it, but change his name to Frank Walker instead of Yimou Zhang.

Critics will hate it. Yet, it has just as much story and just as good, if not better performances, since Bruce Willis is probably a better actor than Jet Li.

Why would they hate it? It wasn't in Chinese, about Chinese history, starring Chinese actors and made by Chinese filmmakers.

Lost in translation -

I watched Fabled and I couldn't help feel that it was very European at heart. If you compare this to I'll Sleep When I'm Dead, you'll find Fabled is the stronger of the two, yet that Mike Hodges film is considered great film-making, and the critics found this arrogant and not successful.

Another glaring double standard is symbolism. In Europe and perhaps the rest of the world, symbolism is smart film-making. In the United States it's always looked upon as one, unnecessary and two, as the filmmaker thinking he/she is being clever when they clearly aren't.

It all comes down to expectations. This isn't Memento, nor is it the Grudge.

Come on people, the movie is called Fabled. If you go into it not expecting symbolism and a references to a fable, then go watch Boogeyman.

If you like to think at the movies, at least more than about why did this cost so much, then spend some time with Fabled.

PS. Don't listen to those who say it is only worth one viewing. While there are no twists, there is plenty going on for another go. If only for understanding the voice over alone it is worth that second try.

I had an ex-boyfriend who was about as jealous and paranoid as the guy in this movie. He didn't go kill anyone, but he was just as obsessive. So this really rang a bell with me. Unfortunately, it also made me hate the character. Still a good film. Be better for a rental than paying full theater price.

Looking at the credits, I don't remember some of these characters. Was there a lot left on the cutting room floor, or did I miss it when I went to the bathroom?

I give it a 10 for effort and about an 8 for results. 2 points off for hitting too close to my home.

Why is this movie still not available on video.

I saw this movie during the Austin Film Festival in 2002. Here it is three years later. What is going on? I didn't think it was that bad enough to get shelved. Actually, it was one of the better movies at the festival.

I guess with no real stars in it, and nothing shocking, it slipped through the grate. Perhaps the filmmakers should have had more killing, or sex, it certainly had enough profanity.

Too bad. Maybe it will make it's way to late night cable. That's really where it would play best. Late night mind fu**. Sometimes you find gems on late night TV.

It's a shame that this fizzled out without even being given a chance, especially when there is so much crap out there getting every chance millions of dollars can buy.

"Fabled" is a stylish, complex psychological thriller that makes me think this is the kind of stuff Hitchcock would be doing if his life and career had been extended another 30 years. If you like tense, artistic mindbenders like the Aronofsky films "Pi" and "Black Swan", or the works of Korean director Ji-woon Kim like "A Tale of Two Sisters", or some of the David Lynch puzzlers like "Mulholland Drive", then this is for you.

I guarantee it won't make complete sense immediately, but instead it presents a nice puzzle that'll have you thinking for a long time afterwards. What separates it from the classic mindbenders is that the plot itself isn't the puzzle you're expected to solve, but rather the challenge is to figure out the film's meaning through symbolism, theme, and so on. For example, there are certain recurring ingredients which are not integral to the story, but they definitely mean something: a scrap of paper stuck to the main character's shoe, odd flashbacks to a dog digging under a fence, appearances of a creepy man with books, etc. None of these things are significant parts of the story; yet they are there by design and meant to add depth and meaning. They are not random.

Something I really enjoyed about this film, which is absent from the other movies I listed above, is a sort of dark comedy that exists under the surface. There aren't really any big punchline gags, but the banter between the characters of Joe and Alex (actors Desmond Askew and J Ritchie Nash) had me laughing out loud the way I laughed at the banter between Travolta and Jackson in "Pulp Fiction". Also this movie has a lot of humorous repetition that makes it seem more like a dark comedy than a thriller (like random people asking the main character "has she come home yet?" to which he rants something about his girlfriend, only to learn they were referring to his dog). Back to my earlier comparison, Hitchcock was the master of mixing chills with laughs, and I think first-time director Ari Kirschenbaum did an excellent job at it. It takes a lot of guts to attempt humor with such a serious theme.

I liked this movie so much, after watching it the first time I immediately watched it again with the commentary track. Unfortunately, the commentary doesn't shed much light on the film's symbolism and meaning (you can tell they're trying not to ruin it). But one thing that's obvious in the commentary as well as the actors' performances is that everyone enjoyed making this movie and put their all into it. Shot in 21 days on a modest budget, half the extras are crew and family members. This intimate vibe, especially the funny chemistry between Askew and Nash, Results in one of the "warmest" thrillers I've ever seen.

Fabled is an excellent debut film by newcomer Kirshenbaum. The plot is not very complex, but everything else seems to have been very well thought out. A lot of attention seemed to go in to the performances and subtleties.

Visually, it is striking for a small indie pic. Desmond, who I've only seen in Go, was great as the lead.

I like the way a lot was left up to interpretation. This is not a film for the intellectually challenged. If you're not paying attention you'll miss a lot of the little details, which are what makes this movie a cut above most.

The movie has great atmosphere and mood. I can't wait to see what this writer/director does next.