Reviews by Brandon Judell
"Acts of Worship"
Director/writer: Rodriguez, Mary
Cast: Ana Reeder, Michael Hyatt, Christopher Kadish, Brian Burchill
Watching Anna Reeder at the Spirit Awards last year was both
enthralling and heartbreaking. Every time the camera landed on her face
throughout the
evening, you knew here was someone who wanted to win. Really wanted to win.
Then when the winner for Best Debut Performance was announced and her name
wasn't called, you were so glad you weren't at her table.
Her performance in "Acts of Worship," that garnered
her nomination in the first place, also made you glad you weren't in the
same room with her
character, Alix. She is that raw. That real. That needy. Anna's playing
a Lower East Side druggie, by the way, who's riding on a seesaw through
life. The problem is that this seesaw has two down sides.
Even with the proliferation of heroin-shooting films among
indie releases, here's one that's still worth a gander. Writer/director
Rosemary Rodriguez
captures the desperation of a drug addict's life so well. Her depiction
of the destruction they wrought on themselves and others is so wrenching,
this film
should be required viewing at every high school in the country. After experiencing
it, you won't go near an aspirin.
The simple plot has Alix's neighbor Digna, a black woman photographer
(Michael Hyatt), a former addict herself, trying to rescue her. She's herself
in the
down-and-out girl. But who'll win the battle? Who'll lose the war? The answer
here is a bit surprising.
Beautifully shot by Luke Geissbuhler with fine, appropriately seedy production
design by Johnny Hardesty, the film belongs to Reeder and Rodriguez, who
seem to get an artistic high off each other. Let's hope the chemistry works
again real soon.[Judell]
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