[Previously unposted From TIFF '05]

SORRY, HATERS (U.S. / 2005)
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*A 2006 U.S. Release* 



A fascinating, if not wholly satisfying, psychological drama about the uncertainties and anxieties that exist in post-9/11 America, Sorry, Haters is the second feature film from young American filmmaker Jeff Stanzler. Shot on digital-video, the film resembles Michael Manns Collateral (2004) in the initial stages after an odd figure ends up with an earnest cabby. But in this case, the ride only sets up the events that follow. Robin Wright Penn plays Phoebe, the distraught figure who we watch trying to withdraw some cash in midtown Manhattan early on in the film. After hitching a cab driven by an Arab Muslim, Ashade (Abdel Kechiche), she goes uptown and steps out briefly only to scratch a minivan which she claims belongs to her husband who now has eyes for their Asian babysitter. It doesnt take her long to get herself involved with Ashade after she learns that his brother has been wrongly deported back to Syria, where his life is in danger. In the meantime, Ashade has to look after his brother's French wife (lodie Bouchez) and their baby. Presenting herself as a well-connected media mogul, Phoebe offers her help which Ashade hesitantly accepts, not quite recognizing her motivations.

The title of the film is derived from a slogan spoken by wealthy entertainers on MTV-shows while blithely trying to deflect any criticism after showcasing their latest purchases -- and thats something which is as oblique as the film itself. There isnt much doubt about the fact that Sorry, Haters is politically motivated, but it works better as a personal story of self-hatred and depression, or perhaps even as a thriller. Having said that, the film ultimately is gutsier than Manoel de Oliveira's A Talking Picture (2004), as it grants viewers the opportunity to take in the twists and turns along the way leading up to the final episode. For the most part, Stanzler keeps the proceedings from wavering, even though he indulges in some broad strokes. But no matter how silly certain sequences get, what makes the film agreeable are the performances. Penn is sensational as a conflicted woman, and Kechiche, the director of the Csar winning Games of Love and Chance (2003), displays the right amount of compassion and credulity. Sandra Oh has a brief role as Penns co-worker and, as always, she livens up the surroundings.

Grade: B
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*Available on DVD in the U.S. (IFC).