Wow.
That’s the overriding sense I got after experiencing Deniz Michael’s debut independent feature Solitary Fracture. Directed, starred, written by, edited and scored by Michael, Solitary Fracture is the vision of a single person brought to life with justifiable confidence and more style than most anything found on the big screen today and even reaching back into the annuls of film history. Although it has its imperfections and limitations, Solitary Fracture is nonetheless still a magnificent foray for Michael into the world of creation.
Other than the odd off-screen voice, the film’s only character is Mike, the epitome of the life generic. He works in an office, wears a white shirt and tie and goes about his life without any significance. If Mike were to disappear, it’s unlikely that anyone would even notice he was gone. After becoming a victim of corporate downsizing, Mike realizes his own insignificance and so begins his descent into Hell on Earth. Solitary Fracture follows Mike’s suffering as he tries several approaches to find meaning in his life. There’s job, family, appearance and finally alcohol – none of which help.
Solitary Fracture takes you out of your comfort zone as it refuses to hold back in showing just how horrible Mike’s hell is. The black and white footage is as raw as it comes. Combined with Michael’s often frantic editing that employs heavy use of both strobe-like effects, slow dissolves and slow motion, just watching Solitary Fracture is a visceral roller coaster.
Perhaps most unsettling of all is the fact that Mike is an everyman of sorts. While I have yet to find myself sitting in front of the mirror ripping out my hair or loathing in bed for days on end, it doesn’t mean that similar questions of significance haven’t passed through my mind on occasion. I have a hunch I’m not alone either. Solitary Fracture is a rare film in that it made me reflect on my own life and how I live. To that end I am now an active participant in the film, something that simply cannot happen when you sit back and eat a bowl of popcorn while watching adventurers rescue damsels and super heroes save metropolises from the grips of evil.
There were times when Michael lost a bit of momentum but I attribute some of this due to technical limitations. While a director can largely control the look of a film through location and lighting, sound is something that sometimes cannot be controlled, especially on a budget of almost nothing. Even in isolated locales there are times when background noises are picked up. While the sound for most of the film is solid, there are noticeable instances of distracting background noise that briefly take away some of the film’s intensity.
Even still, Solitary Fracture is a film that won’t allow you to sit back and enjoy but rather it sucks you in and makes you squirm. And that’s something so genuine, it’s welcome for me anytime.
Solitary Fracture Gallery
Solitary Fracture Trailer
