REVIEW: BUBBLE
Title: Bubble (2005)
Starring Debbie Doebereiner, Dustin Ashley and Misty Wilkins
Produced by HDNet Films, 2929 Productions, Magnolia Pictures and Section Eight
Written by Coleman Hough
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Wow. That’s all I can really say after watching this film…and I don’t mean that in a good way. I guess every mainstream film director is entitled to making one (or several) shitty, independent films, and Bubble was definitely his.
Taking place in a small, economically deprived town in Ohio, Bubble focuses around an extremely bizarre love triangle between Martha, a homely woman in her mid-to-late 40s, Jake, a late-20s stoner, and Rose, a whiny-yet-attractive 20 year old woman. Martha and Jake have been co-workers and friends for some time, since working long hours at a doll factory has obviously paralyzed their social lives. When young and “hip” Rose walks into the factory one day, Jake gets ga-ga, immediately sending Martha into a pre-menopausal rage. Rose is killed, Martha did it, blah blah blah. Really. It’s that boring. Thank god this movie was only 73 minutes long, otherwise I would’ve clawed my eyes out.
The reason why I wanted to originally see this film was it’s setting. I’m from Ohio, therefore whenever anyone takes the time to make a movie set in Ohio, I usually see it. Most of the time, and this movie was no exception, the writer and/or director turn all the characters into redneck idiots. Now, I’m not saying there are no dumb, redneck Ohioans, but most of the people know “ain’t” shouldn’t be used in a sentence. Also, not every Ohioan has that southern drawl that most West Virginians and other Midwest states do. Granted, if you go further south, there’s no stopping it. The one thing the film manages to get right, however, is the lack of money in the state…and the poor, dismal sights most Ohioan towns have.
There are several things I actually managed to enjoy about this film. For instance, Soderbergh did an amazing job editing. Then again, I’m sure he had trouble finding someone who would sit and watch/edit this crap for months on end. Nonetheless, there were a few transitions which made me “ooh” and “aww.” I have a large problem when someone’s hands don’t match up when they’re picking up a glass, smoking a cigarette, etc., but Soderbergh definitely has “the eye” and it shows.
It must be a great time writing a film like this because it really felt ad-libbed most of the time. The flubs in dialogue made the characters seem extra personable and is something you don’t see in films often. So, either the writer didn’t do a whole lot or the actors were incredibly good. Watch and decide for yourself…if you dare!
The lighting, at times, was also fantastic. Soderbergh, under yet another alias, played up a lot of blues and reds in the lighting, which made for some interesting contrasts. Surprisingly, there were a lot of shots right next to windows which, if you’ve taken any video courses, is usually expressed as a big no-no. Where there’s good there’s always bad, so some scenes were so dark I could hardly see the actors.
Also, if you willingly watch this film, be prepared to hear the same song at least 5 times. Why Soderbergh didn’t splurge for a little more music is beyond me. The first time made me tap my toes, the last time made me scream “ENOUGH ALREADY!”
This film, in the end, is a mix between an episode of How It’s Made and a soap opera. So, if you have 73 minutes to kill and want to see how babydolls are made, by all means watch it. If not, do yourself the favor and skip this one.
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