Review of Brief Interviews with Hideous Men (2009) by Matt B — 21 Nov 2012

Structurally, "Brief" is enlivening and inspired. Some of the conclusions the film comes to, however, are quite questionable, if not downright offensive. Krasiniski tries to split the difference between feminism and post-feminism by trying to make the idea of victimhood a universal, rather than an issue of gender. Whatever point he's REALLY trying to make gets muddied, and our involvement with the central characters dissipates simultaneously.

The highlight, for me, is Subject 42's (Frankie Faison) extended dialogue with his deceased father, an African American man who lived and died a washroom attendant to rich white men. Their intense, pained and emotional duet deals with the intersection of shame and necessity; the whole scene is filmed and edited with much more care than Krasinksi gave to the other 95% of his debut feature.