Anonymous (2004)
It's really hard to be disappointed
in "Anonymous," since it was obviously made with no
money and little more than a decent digital video
camera and one man's aspirations. Todd Verlow, a wannabe
filmmaker who obviously has a real-time, real life
day job at a small, ratty, movie theater in some urban
wasteland saturates his film with images of himself
at work at this job. It's as if he took the camera
to his day job and recorded himself alone in his tiny
office periodically, whenever he came up with an idea
for his film. Thing is, his film is a doozy: a creepy,
discomforting, pornographic treatise on masochism
and monogamy that is often as troubling as it is boring.
To be sure, there is a lot here
that is either boring or simply does not work. Verlow,
playing a character named Todd as his submissive protagonist,
egotistically films himself consistently in various
stages of undress. And since he is in his 30, balding
and somewhat effeminate, this is never interesting
(never mind compelling) to the majority of viewers.
Verlow is not much to look at yet he films his piece
as if he were a desirable porn star.
There's even a sequence where he
works as a model for a website that features middle-aged
men in suits and ties. And this gets to be way too
much. Scene after scene of Verlow in various states
of undress is really more than the casual viewer (i.e.
anyone not into balding middle-aged men) can take.
But nearly just as often Verlow
has scenes of intense, nearly pornographic sexual
situations that are astounding, adventurous and disturbing.
There is actually a story here (as much as there is
filler of Verlow prancing about) and often it can
be quite engrossing. Verlow's Todd engages in bathroom
sex, anonymous Internet sex, and even tells the camera
of being anally raped by an adult at 12 years old
in an interview segment. It's often graphic, always
disturbing, and unlike anything you've ever seen before.
Verlow's pretension moves from boring into audacious
as easily as he moves in and out of his trousers.
The story here reminded me of a
low-budg indie film I saw at SXSW a few years ago
called "Low Self-Esteem Girl," which was actually
more about a stupid woman who was victimized over
and over by users and abusers than about a girl with
low self-esteem. Verlow literally could be "low self-esteem
guy" though. His Todd is as irritating as the female
character in that earlier film but to make matters
even more frustrating, and perhaps even more annoying,
Todd is a sentient victim. He may be passive but he
certainly knows that he is a sucker. He allows this
continual mistreatment not because he is too stupid
or too naive to stop it but because, we presume, for
some fucked-up reason, he truly thinks he deserves
it.
Watching Verlow's Todd's life spiral
out of control - He loses his boyfriend, his place
to live, his job, he is robbed, he is pissed on (literally)
and he is beat-up, is often the most nauseating and
disturbing moments you will ever witness while watching
a film. But to know that Verlow, as an artist and
a gay man, somehow enjoys wallowing in this filth
(he did write and direct a film where he is beaten
and pissed on and where he is buttfucked at least
three times - actually more than that - four or five
if you count the times he just talks about it) is
even more perplexing.
For all its bad acting, bad writing,
contrived moments, and lingering egotistical shots
of Verlow's naked body, there is also real talent
here. Some of the shots are framed beautifully. Some
of the images here are gorgeous. Some of the dream
sequences are perfect. Some of the ideas here are
groundbreaking.
"Anonymous" is a film that will
leave you scratching your head and deep in thought
when you leave the theater. Thing is, given time to
contemplate the film, you just may come to the conclusion
that it is masterpiece as easily as you might consider
calling it an absolute piece of shit.
Notes:
One on-line source I found said
that Verlow actually filmed the piece on the sly while
a manager at the Loew's Theater in Times Square in
NYC.
Verlow's imdb filmography lists
over 10 movies that he has made and includes the information
that he worked on Gregg Araki's film "Totally
Fucked Up" as well as "Mod Fuck Explosion." Both
films star James Duvall.
Viewed
at Agliff in Austin 2004
