| The truth is seldom funny. Series 7
is one of the least funny parody/satires I have ever seen. It’s
also one of the best. The premise is relatively simple. Six
people have been randomly selected to compete in the seventh
season of the reality TV show, “The Contenders.” The catch is,
in this reality show, they must kill each other and the last
person left wins. Brooke Smith plays 8-months-pregnant Dawn
Lagarto, the reigning champ of the show. She has already survived
two seasons and it is suggested that if she survives a third,
she will be free. The film is told as the show would be. There
are breaks where commercials would fit in, dramatizations, flashy
titles, and MTV edits (I hate that statement). In fact, there
is such incredible attention to detail that if it weren’t for
the acting and the FX, I would swear it’s real.
The plot is melodramatic, yet in the same vein as real reality
TV. Two of the contestants have a past. Dawn is desperate
to protect her child. One of the girls is a virgin teen with
overprotective parents. There is a Catholic nurse with moral
issues about the contest. For the most part, it’s easy to
predict the outcome of these plot lines, and there is nothing
special about the acting to distinguish them. No, the strength
of the film lies in its dark biting satire. The show is unrealistic
in its premise, but this only makes it all the more poignant
and profound.
In our modern society, the role models and bad-asses are
all killers. It’s horrid to think that Dawn has become a heroine
by murdering other people, but it’s not that far from the
truth. In reality shows, competition, deceit, and ruthlessness
are all admired and rewarded. We love to watch people get
hurt and kicked off the island, or insulted and humiliated
(cough*Real World*cough). Why is it so ridiculous to see us
celebrating a murderer?
And it doesn’t stop there. This movie bashes modern morality
and bravado as the flimsy rubbish that is. In church confession,
one character doesn’t repent for murdering but does repent
for having impure thoughts about a TV personality. It’s as
if the character is ashamed to admit having committed a real
sin. The characters’ reservations about killing last up to
the point where they might die, then shatter like fine crystal
against a brick wall. Death? They’re not afraid of death.
Except when they’re about to die. It’s brutally honest. Not
to mention the portrayal of the show’s production. Something
is amiss. Little clues sprinkled throughout the movie suggest
that the show is not being totally straightforward with you
(see quote below). These clues don’t spoil the ending, but
rather make it more comfortable and less shocking. I could
go on and on. The movie bites into everything it can get its
teeth on.
Therein lies the problem. There is very little release.
The parody is so accurate and the illusion so real that the
audience is given very little time to laugh. It becomes uncomfortable,
as you never know whether it is OK to laugh. Some things are
obviously funny, but many of these things are over-shadowed
by the darkness of the situation. It’s very uneasy moviegoing,
but all in all, very good. Perhaps not the best piece of filmmaking,
but it’s still one of the most intelligent pieces of the year
(not saying a lot, but it’s a compliment, nonetheless).
—Zack “self-inflicted knife wound to the back” Schenkkan
|
out of 5
While we would never encourage anyone to destroy a video... 
