Review of The Tracey Fragments (2007) by Brad K — 15 Aug 2010

The Tracey Fragments, this movie is something that has great potential. Me being an Indy film guy I looked at a trailer for this movie and said this looks weird dark and totally my dig. But in a sense, I was very wrong.

The Tracey Fragments is about a girl. Named Tracey, and the whole movie is fragmented. Or split, and it's hard to follow and ultimately made me angry at points. Sometimes it fit perfect other times I just wanted them to stick to a single image. That is my first problem with this film.

Now this girl Tracey, is on a journey to find her little brother who goes missing. Now, as she goes along she thinks she sees him. But doesn't, which gives me one question. Is her little brother Sonny even real? He probably is but the way the movie plays out makes you think that maybe she just came up with these people. Are any of the people in this movie real. The whole movie she spends denying every little thing that she may be. Or might have done, which to a point gets extremely annoying. Tracey goes to a psychiatrist for example, he or she says her parents think she is smoking crack and the she is going insane. "No I'm not smoking crack and I'm not insane." Even the psychiatrist says she is denying it.

She says she had nothing to do with the disappearance of her little brother Sonny. Which I will try not to spoil anything. But it can be interpreted two different ways. She did or she didn't. Most of you out there if you see the movie will probably feel sorry for insecure Tracey and that she was just trying to find love (she is bullied daily) or somebody who actually cares about her. Personally I feel sorry that she was bullied, I mean a normal person would feel compassion for this girl. And that is where I get to my high point of this movie. The acting was EXTREMELY good. It didn't save the movie though. It had to many plot holes, it leaves you with too many questions. Ellen Page is my favorite actress of all time. And even she couldn't save this movie. She is what gave me the appeal to see this movie. What I'm trying to say is, you have to be doing your job right for people to feel bad, or hate you, or absolutely love you in a movie. And that is why I felt genuinely bad for this character. Because Ellen Page did a good job.

Now it may sound this way, but I can't say I hated this movie because I didn't. I can't say I loved it either. I can say it was worth one viewing. the reason is, it seems like one of those movies where it is just trying to be oscar bait. Trying to give the dark and broody indie type vibe it should have. But all it did was make me depressed. I mean it really made me feel more depressed than I ever have. If this was happening to real life to a girl I knew. First of all, I probably would be her friend. Because there was absolutely nothing wrong with her. She hates herself. She is completely emo. This movie was only worth one viewing, even though I may end up seeing it along the road one day. I can only say this movie movie is fresh. And deserves or than 35%. But nothing more than 60%.

I hope you enjoyed this review and found it informative. Depending on the type of person you are. The way I described this movie may make you want to see it. Or it may steer you away. If you are looking for A good Ellen Page movie. I will suggest Juno or if you wanna pay a couple extra bucks even though she isn't the main person. Go see Inception, this movie doesn't change my opinion on Ellen. But changes my opinion on Indie films. Indie will always be the best. But this movie doesn't exactly do it enough justice. Maybe if this was a T.V movie I would think different. But for right now. I'm saying this movie if anything, it was okay or maybe a little below.