Audience Member
[b][color=lemonchiffon]THE PLOT:[/color][/b]
[i][color=lemonchiffon]A documentary crew follows Pierre Radowsky, a notorious acting teacher, as he trains his troupe of performers with suspiciously off-beat methods. [/color][/i]
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[color=lemonchiffon]"Stress" -another Dogme entry from Belgian Vincent Lannoo- is an immensely appealing, well-acted and hilarious look at the absurdity of an acting studio. If you can handle a great deal of actors' eccentricity and screaming, then dive right in, Stress won't disappoint. Its main focus is, of course, the eccentric acting teacher, Pierre Radowsky, played with exquisite precision by Pierre Lekeux, and the consequences of his actions.Allegedly possessing some sort of acting genius, Pierre speaks proudly of his special 'open-door' teaching style, which involves immature tantrums, major humiliation in front of the class, and sexual degradation of Pierre's female students.[/color]
[color=lemonchiffon]The film's primary intention - exemplified in its intimacy, accentuated by its mock-documentary approach, and its risky, controversial subject matter - seems to be to both amuse and provoke feelings of awkwardness. Take the scene where Pierre exploits the devotion of one of his male students: he makes him 'relax' by having the two women in his group soothingly massage him, and kiss him (Pierre does some passionate kissing himself), yet when the man gets aroused, Pierre tells him to get the hell out of the class. It's funny, yes, but one can't help feeling a little uneasy.[/color]
[color=lemonchiffon]It also shows the torn, manipulative side of Pierre's character, as well as demonstrates the craziness that is theatre acting. Does the man really know what he's doing? Does he possess that special talent, or is he a fraud? It's impossible to deny Pierre's love for, and involvement in theatre, but scenes such as his audition of a new actress certainly make one wonder. In that scene, Pierre, along with several acting judges from the school, share an inside joke - they're clearly auditioning the actresses on the basis of whether or not they would take their clothes off. The actress' efforts make them crack up uncontrollably - the scene is amusing, but at the same time one can't help but feel sorry for their wasted efforts, and angry at those pricks for disregarding the honesty. [/color]
[color=lemonchiffon]The auditions lead to another controversial scene, where Pierre has to be stopped by the documentary crew that's filming him before he sexually assaults the student he eventually picked. The man just delves into it, without even attempting to set her up for it - the lines between reality and fiction, between what's allowed and what's not, have been blurred for poor Pierre. It's like, on a subconscious level, he still thinks that this is part of his acting method - the crew is there in the room with him, so why would he consciously rape her in front of them? When the camera drops, the effect is that of extreme realism (how can that not be real?), but also serves as a statement for the limitlessness of the effect that the Dogme approach can have on a viewer in general. [/color]
[color=lemonchiffon]Pierre Lekeux's performance is quite subtle, actually, despite all the fussing and screaming. Somehow, he always wins the viewer's sympathy, despite the atrocious deeds he commits. We constantly regard him as a victim of his own practices, instead of a consciously malicious being. He's almost too absurd and ridiculous to be taken seriously (take the scene where he childishly offends the vocal trainer, taking away his class from her), and simply too funny to hate. It's truly great acting.[/color]
[color=lemonchiffon]The film's approach is reminiscent of that of Christopher Guest mockumentary films, only the Dogme style makes "Stress" more real and gritty; it supplements the satirical subtext well, and definitely brings the viewer this much closer to the characters. The conclusion is a tad contrived - the whole troupe radically turning against Pierre - but consider "Stress" to be a top-notch example of its kind. [/color]
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[b][color=lemonchiffon]BOTTOM LINE[/color][/b]
[color=lemonchiffon]Stress is a prime example of alternative filmmaking - realistic, poignant, hilarious... Provides proof that there is future in the dogme world yet.[/color]
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
01/25/23
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