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First, the Recap:
What IS it to simply acknowledge being alive? It sounds like something out of a cerebral science fiction film, yet does it not pose a query we find the means to ponder along with the additional thought to trying to comprehend exactly what the future might hold for us over the course of time we exist. Yes, this indeed brings to mind contemplations beyond just the “norm”, venturing into our concepts of interpreting reality, renewal, and answers which always appear elusive or impossible to fathom. When we are in such a mental and/or spiritual conundrum, what occurs if the answers we seek don’t manifest? A woman (Sofia Callegaro) wanders out of the darkness and back into the light, silent but purposeful in gait, slowly showcasing a time she is experiencing, a series of instances that will leave her transformed into a new shape that defines everything she desires to learn…or has yet to come to pass.
Next, my Mind:
The definitions of who, what, when, where, why, and how all get deeply and enigmatically redefined, presented through a format that is not just EXTREMELY abbreviated (folks, we’re talking 72 seconds long…seriously) but filled with what could assuredly be construed as profound ideas which are experiential and pragmatic as much as they are utterly conjectural and speculative, ushered forth in an equally simplistic yet effective visual manner that ultimately leaves everything still on the table with precisely what the film’s title indicates. THIS is a pristine example of experimental cinema at its finest, and personally I have to give much credit to writer/director Damiano Rossi for being another bastion of indie film’s quirky creativity and bold choices in delivering a project that, truthfully, unapologetically and in so many ways forcefully MAKES the viewer have to sit back and really CONTEMPLATE….well….it ALL.
Purposefully immersed in a vagueness of setting and narrative, the event unfolding that sees a solitary young woman apparently working her way through an exploration of reality in a way that leaves all else physically and conceptually endless while being perpetually obscure and unclear, it’s that existential, metaphysical, perhaps even philosophical journey of just NOT comprehending the DETAILS of the actuality being depicted, instead having only more and more queries ABOUT aforementioned elements at the start of the previous paragraph above and then intelligently teasing us with the fact that while desperately sought after answers might not be forthcoming, might we be able to anticipate them in the future? And if so, will said revelations be satisfying…or just add to the mystery of who we are and what we choose to envision AS our tangible, authentic, but also elusive and mysterious notions OF reality?
It’s exactly how the film conveys its finale, which as also mentioned above pays homage to the project’s moniker in a uniquely affecting way. Imagery plays such a key role here, even in its overt simplicity and brevity, for it combined with the words materializing on screen that really act as the only conspicuous “guide” to what we’re witnessing, somehow manages to mesmerize you IN it’s uncomplicated foundational nature but still carries a depth and significance that resonates in your mind with a confoundingly engaging, compelling impact, piquing the curiosity of our imagination even as it all spins about in our conscious as we try to grasp at what truths are being unravelled in only one minute and twelve seconds. It must be shared that, at least to this critic’s immediate recollection, the film became the shortest effort I believe I’ve ever had the pleasure of reviewing, and even this made the experience all the better in how it showcases experimental cinema’s fearlessness.
Callegaro’s beauty, poise, and grace is evident from the (oh so brief!) start to finish here through her role as a woman who finds herself being encompassed by awakening and rebirth while the whole time being subjected to the sheer riddle of past, present, and future all wrapped into moments which wrap her body, mind, and soul into a state of inquiry that may or may not discover the resolutions of actuality she seeks. It’s the uncertainty the situation exudes that seems to drive her forward, though by the end, it is the literal and metaphorical exposure she displays, plus the subsequent shape she ends up IN, that seals her voyage’s conclusion and leaves an open-ended mindset. With no dialogue and virtually no TIME to establish a more traditional performance for a character, the magic of Callegaro’s presence though body language makes for an undeniably admirable and so perfectly suited, artistically relevant turn here, harder to accomplish than most might surmise, at least in my opinion. To express without words is no small feat, and I felt Callegaro embodied the necessary aspects of what was needed for this atmospheric film.
So, in total, “The Question Mark” strays with confidence and unflinching (though subtle) attitude WELL outside the conventions of what most would even wish to consider cinema and, in doing so, illustrates the beauty of filmmaking as the ART form it is, coloring beyond the lines (and beyond the mainstream) so that we as the filmgoing masses might just be willing to follow the creatives behind them by crossing those traditional boundaries to realize that, just like this film demonstrates, it is more than OK to traverse these outer reaches and prove indie film as a genre is something we often might forget to acknowledge and accept–limitless.
STAR RATING (out of 5):
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
