Beeswax is the latest film from writer/director Andrew Bujalski, the so-called "Godfather of Mumblecore". He was the originator of the movement with his 2002 film Funny Ha Ha, and has remained to the genre's a pioneer and major collaborator. Sadly, this film does not rise to the level of his past works like Funny or Mutual Appreciation.
The wonderfulness of mumblecore is that they're not really *about* anything other than young people doing stuff and screwing. This film has more of a plot, though, than most - and only a limited amount of coitus. In it there are twin sisters, Jeannie and Lauren, who live in Austin (because Bujalski followed the hipsters from Boston to Brooklyn and then down to Texas - like birds migrating south for the winter). Jeannie, who is physically handicapped and is in a wheelchair, co-owns a vintage clothing store but is having trouble with her business partner. She asks for legal help from a friend and sometimes fuck-buddy Merrill. Lauren has just broken up with a boyfriend, but is then offered a job to teach English in Nairobi by the ex-boyfriend's brother.
I normally love the dullness of mumblecore movies - that they're just small relationship stories and are made in a scruffy, inventive ways with available materials, small crews and non-actors - but this one didn't work for me at all. There is *too much* plot here and the sitting around and talking has too much direction. Unlike something like Medicine for Melancholy, which is a love story told in a mumblecore style, this is a mumblecore movie telling a dull story. It doesn't work.
I don't care that Lauren is looking for a job or that the job happens to be with the company of her ex - that's too high-concept for what is needed. I don't care about Jeannie's legal trouble (which is really never spelled out - and it's not clear what her dead-beat partner could possibly sue her over). Mublecore movies are not supposed to deal with things like lawsuits - because directionless 20-somethings simply don't get sued.
Jeannie and Lauren are played by non-actor twins Tilly and Maggie Hatcher. Maggie is totally fine, but her role is mostly supporting. Tilly is much too angry and mean for the role. She's not all that nice as a boss, and it's very difficult to like her or respect her. She's much too clinical with bullshit that goes on. When one of her staff asks to go to a gay rights rally, she hounds her for five minutes that she might get arrested so she should call a co-worker to back-up her next shift. This is totally dumb and unnecessary and makes her come off as a cold bitch, which I don't think is what we are supposed to feel - and I don't think is helpful for the story. I think she's passive aggressive and I only caught her smiling three times in the film. I don't get that. (I should admit that I have strong negative reactions to people in wheelchairs -seriously - so might just not like her beyond her acting.) Bujalsi does not act in this film (as he did in his previous pieces). I think this is a big mistake as his nervous nebbishness generally adds great texture to the pictures he's in.
I guess you could say that this is 8 years after Funny Ha Ha, so these characters are bit more grown up than earlier ones in Bujalski's films - that it's still the style of the earlier fare, but with a story dealing with slightly older people. To that I would say that while are there still elements of the loser, hipster stories of classic mumblecore - like kids going back to school, not knowing what to do in life and having casual sex with their friends because it's available - it's too much of a typical narrative story to work well. It's neither a good independent film, nor is it a good no-budget, DIYish mumblecore movie.
I really like Andrew Bujalski's other films, but this one just didn't work for me. I think the high praise it's received (it was on several best of 2009 lists) is unwarranted. I hope Buj can pull it back together for his next film.
Stars: 1 of 4
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