neumu [ cinematronic ]




	Ellie Parker
	Scott Coffey Naomi Watts, Rebecca Rigg, Chevy Chase, Mark Pellegrino, Scott Coffey, Blair Mastbaum 2005		Lensed over the course of a few years by writer/director Scott Coffey as an elaboration of his identically-named 2001 short, "Ellie Parker" is a digital-video mockumentary that homes in on the daily struggles of a young Australian actress trying to establish herself in Hollywood. Its greatest asset is the presence of charismatic Naomi Watts ("21 Grams") as Ellie, in a performance that may well be a slightly satirical depiction of what Watts herself went through earlier in her career. The movie also feels like a painfully accurate depiction of the grind faced by most working actors: the regular, self-esteem-crippling challenges of the audition process, including random embarrassments and offhand rejections; the difficulties of holding on to one's true identity while having to harness multiple personalities in a professional capacity; and the strain of keeping personal relationships, whether friends, lovers or business associates, functional and fruitful when dealing in such a self-centered occupation. Ellie drives herself from audition to audition, applying makeup and running lines as she changes lanes — and clothes. She argues with her boyfriend: a stoned, shiftless, narcissistic musician. Then, she spills her guts to her therapist. Accompanied by her best friend (Rebecca Riggs), she attends a new-agey acting class, goes shopping, and gets smashed at a nightclub. And she considers dating a new acquaintance. This may be a case study in solipsism and go on a little too long, but it has the ring of truth. With Chevy Chase as Ellie's neurotic agent.


	Wednesday, December 18, 2024





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