Since the art of cinema became one of the dominant venues for entertainment the majority of films have been star oriented. That is to say one or perhaps two well established actors drive the story and provide the box office draw. Slowly over the last decade or so the ensemble movie has become increasingly popular. Director Robert Altman truly pioneered this format in the seventies but in more recent years films such as ‘Magnolia’ and ‘Crash’ have helped to reshape cinematic storytelling. When everything comes together with format the results can be magical with interweaving creating a synergistic tapestry. Unfortunately this is an extremely arduous format and very difficult to master. ‘Powder Blue’ by Timothy Linh Bui is an attempt to provide such a film and unfortunately does not manage to succeed in attaining its lofty goals. Up front it must be noted that the cast and crew obviously gave it an honest try and with some additional seasoning and experience subsequent works should be better crafted. This is an independent film short on funding and tight of schedule. It is also a prime example of the primary purpose of Indies; to experiment and further cinema through experimentation. The reality is most experiments fail including this one. While credit must be given for the effort it seems that circumstances prevented the film from reaching its potential. The film had a limited theatrical release followed by making the marketing rounds in the States and Europe finally finding a DVD release through Image Entertainment. They are well known for taking a chance with smaller films and helping new film makers get a start.

Timothy Linh Bui has s few other things on his resume but this opus is basically his sophomore effort as writer and director. For someone fair early in his career talking on a film in this format is a big risk. It is certain that many will immediately compare his movie to other, better established artist. In any field of endeavor it is typically necessary to learn from the works of those that have come before and this is the felling I got while watching this movie. True, some aspects of the story were a little too camp such as naming a character Qwerty but at the core here Bui demonstrates the raw ability. Perhaps in a few years we will watch a film by this man a noticed how far he has come. Make no mistake about it the flick comes off as bad with a trace of talent buried within it. Bui creates a dark story here that borders on the nihilistic. Don’t expect any of the component threads to fill you with joy; it may be a good idea to visit your doctor for prescription for Zoloft prior to viewing. This movie would seem to adhere to the viewpoint that in order to bring realism to the screen it has to be depressing.

Like so many flicks of this ilk it is set in Los Angles. Not in the thriving bright sections of the city but rather those areas inhabited by the hopeless and despondent. To this end the story is populated by a group of loosely interconnected people each of which is constantly followed by s dim cloud of despair. Forest Whitaker plays Charlie, a morose former priest who has been suicidal since the recent death of his wife. He yearns for the release of death but is unable to bring himself to taking his own life. He searches for someone willing to take on the chore for him and drives around with a stash of cash to expedite the transaction should the situation arise. While shopping for a coffin Charlie crosses paths with a funeral director, Qwerty Doolittle (Eddie Redmayne), who has a lot of difficulty in any situation involving the living. His lack of interpersonal skills has contributed to the financial failure of his family business. In a somewhat connected thread Jack Doheny (Ray Liotta has just been released from prison after serving a twenty five year sentence. Now he wants to reconnect with the daughter he never knew.

At the center of the intersecting plot lines is a young woman with yet another odd name; Rose Johnny (Jessica Biel). It is the Christmas season but Rose is far from a holiday frame of mind, she works in a low class strip joint where her act include seductively lighting a cigarette and pouring hot candle wax on her body. It has been noted in numerous considerations of this film that the nudity of the beautiful Ms Biel is the only possible reason for anyone would watch this flick. Recently Ms Biel claimed that she was too beautiful to land serious roles. Although she is beautiful other actresses seem to have overcome such adversity. After watching her performance here, all of it not just the naked parts, she does have potential. I feel the fault is more in her selection of role than her looks. She needs to pursue parts that will help her develop in her craft and not purposely focus on her body.

The film is released in DVD and Blue-ray and while not s must see movie does have a few interesting moments. The visual presentation reflects the overall tone of the story; that is to say overly dark. At times it is nearly impossible to discern what is going on through the murky cinematography. Hopefully the director will learn from this and his next project will be better balanced.