Sergio's Fall Movie Countdown--#9

UNIVERSAL REMOTE

In a continuing series, Sergio reveals the ten films he is most looking forward to this fall.

9. Bubble
directed by Steven Soderbergh
opens in December (TBD)

We go from the two highest budgeted films on the list to the lowest. Bubble is Steven Soderbergh's return to the low-budget filmmaking. It is only 79 minutes long and was shot on video by a crew of about six using non-professional actors on actual locations. In addition to directing, Soderbergh also produced, shot, and edited the film. It was paid for (in part) by 2929 Entertainment, a new company co-owned by Mark Cuban that is trying to change how movies are made and distributed. The plan is to release Bubble to theaters, DVD and cable all on the same day. (The date still has not been announced but will be sometime in December.) Soderbergh has said he is hoping this new strategy is successful because it would essentially cut the studios out of the process and allow art-house filmmakers to have more freedom to make less traditional movies. This would be a very good thing.

Bubble is a tale of jealously and violence involving three people who work at a doll factory in rural Ohio. Sort of a Heart-of-Darkness thing in suburbia. Sounds cool, huh? Obviously, a movie like this is going to focus less on melodrama and more on atmosphere and subtext. It played at the New York Film Festival is September to good/very good notices. Personally, I think smaller films like this are essential viewing. It is will interesting to see what about this material inspired such a well-known director to turn his back on big-budgeted Hollywood films with huge stars. I'm sure Soderbergh wanted to recharge his creative batteries. He did a similiar thing back int he early 90's when he made Schizopolis, a crazy handmade film that he also starred in (playing two parts, no less). After that, he made Out of Sight, Erin Brockovich and Traffic. We should should be so lucky if his next films are as good as these. I'm a die-hard Steven Soderbergh fan and am loking forward to see a more experimental side of him. I just haven't decided whether to see it in theaters or to go out and buy the DVD.

TOMORROW: One of the greatest comedians in film history gets serious.