SXSW 2013 Film Reviews: 'Yellow'

Yellow

Nick Cassavetes' Yellow is bleak, a bit sinister, and oddly satisfying. The film plays like a jittery long-form dream sequence punctuated by occasional moments of clarity; fans of David Lynch and Michel Gondry will surely find something to love in its precarious, experimental narrative. The pace is frantic and fragmented, and the film is short on plot and long on trippy indulgences. Lead actress Wahlquist (Cassavetes' wife and co-screenwriter of Yellow) is consistently engaging in her unhinged lead performance as a pill-popping substitute teacher with an alarming past, and Miller adds some superb (and vulgar) splashes of wacko comedy. Cassavetes employs a variety of bold and inventive techniques to take viewers inside a troubled mind looking for an escape from reality, including an unexpected song-and-dance number and other absurd fragments. Those looking to deviate from the beaten path will surely enjoy this 108-minute head-trip.