SXSW 09 Film Reviews

Experimental Shorts

"Experimental" is a dodgy word for a curmudgeon, as it suggests possession of deep wells of patience and open-mindedness. Dig deep through this program, though, and there is some small reward, a few hits among some broad, irritating misses. The highlights: the amped-up, whirlwind depiction of a cattle auctioneer in "Cattle Call"; the serene brevity of "100 MG," which uses a billowing bedcover as a visual metaphor for the first few weeks on anti-depressants; the epic scale of "Bigband," a Venezuelan rock-video rumination on the persistence of mankind that blends live action, animation, and stock footage for a trip down a rabbit hole of near-incoherence. The lowlights: "Dear Texas Highways" could not be more annoying or self-indulgent. The same can be said of the too long, unfunny, downright painful "Chronicles of a Professional Eulogist." Fitting that it is a rumination on death, because much of the audience was wishing for it.