Indie Film Review “Cutaways” The Biz gets a bitingly satiric, unapologetic light shone upon it with hubris, humor, and candor
WATCH THE TRAILER BELOW:
First, the Recap:
Falling from heights. Never fun, never wanted, hopefully avoided altogether. When we have reached a particular pinnacle, perhaps more so within the context of career, having something come along and destroy it is anything but encouraging. In fact, it can turn downright catastrophic for us, unable to cope with the aftermath and remaining unsure that anything good will come again. We grasp for ANY opportunity. But in doing so, what are we losing when desperation reigns?
The film world once embraced avant-garde filmmaker Evan Quick (Silas Kade). With a Sundance hit on the resumé, all seemed perfect. And it was…until social media-spread scandal broke everything. Now at the mercy of a sleazy industry producer named Sammy (James Duval), making an adult film is what it’s come to. Between a burned out former child star Andy (Fernando), a diva wanna be Ryan (Diogo Hausen), and Sammy’s new boy toy Trace (Jason Caceres), what could possibly go wrong???
Next, my Mind:
So, there have been a larger number of films across more recent years that find their core thematic gists contained within the LGBTQ+ realms. Amongst these, there are the ones that, just being frank, tend to almost “push” the community agenda vs. others that stand more firmly on characters and stories immersed in it, but where the ARTISTRY transcends JUST that angle. Meaning, there’s applicability to ANYONE, not JUST the LGBTQ+ folks. I have personally never been shy about admitting that this grander subject matter is not a personal preference. BUT, I have ALSO been more than open about the truth, especially in the indie film arena, that those filmmakers behind so many of the efforts I’ve seen truly EXCEL at NOT being preachy or forceful. Instead, they take a far more creative approach and simply place it IN this gay reality.
As such, when it comes to this newest indie feature film from writer/director/producer/executive producer/editor Mark Schwab (whose previous films “Thin Places” and “Palindrome” I reviewed), co-producer Mark Balunis, and executive producer Steven Murr, I honestly went in with due caution but also some high expectations. And let me just say, as a whole, there wasn’t any disappointment at what I viewed, with the film a scathingly, darkly, unflinchingly, fearlessly BOLD statement about “The Biz”, the REAL price it takes from those trying to make it, while also addressing the very relevant and most assuredly current actuality of just how damaging social media can be on someone. Here, we see it depicted through a narratives that follows a filmmaker whose time in the sun got unceremoniously cut short, leading him to take on what really amounts to the LAST kind of project he ever wished to accept…an adult film.
From this juncture, the film is brutally candid, rawly unsettling at times, and, at its foundations, quite absurdly entertaining and hilarious in just HOW unhinged the events get. Now, I will be transparent and state that there were more than a few moments of forthright, even harsh, irreverence and nudity that I could have done without, as it is this type of intimacy/content that does not sit well with me, NO MATTER what perspectives and/or orientations we are talking about, mind you. YET, there is no denying that in the context of this story, it DOES serve its intended purpose with both comical and even some dramatic intensity that SELLS you on the viewpoints being conveyed. Willingness to push the envelope, the actor/director relationship, the seedy politics of equally shady producers and their desire to take control of everything no matter what, the jaded viewpoint of snubbed director, and the “diva” attitudes from actors are but some of the thematic explorations we are witness to.
What might hit you most when contemplating what you see is that this kind of insanity, at least to certain (or forbid EXACT!) extents, MAY actually HAPPEN within the industry. The ability to try and FIX your image when effectively blacklisted by the very people who used to laud and support you has to be so utterly demeaning to a successful director, and the film addresses this with total impunity, exaggerating some things, but being (satirically, I still maintain) blunt about what it IS to be IN the industry. Watching the sheer magnitude of unvarnished and personal deconstruction multiple characters face is impactful and compelling, even IN the dark humor it represents. The finale is one that also leaves an indelible mark upon you, feeling somewhat cathartic yet also heartbreakingly conjecture-filled, which was an intelligently crafted and executed moment after ALL the madness we’ve already seen. Yep, it’s independent cinema soaring high on its eccentricity!
Kade’s performance here is like feeling an open nerve ending get tweaked and twisted, expressing a level of unambiguous, searing inner pain, depth of exasperation, and genuine sense of hopelessness as applied to the character he plays here, Evan Quick. A director who had it all until lies and deceptive posts on social media destroyed everything he was, Evan now must attempt to “redeem” himself through making a porn film at the behest of a sleazy producer he’s known for a while. Yet, even as the shoot, much less the actors involved, find the means to spiral out of control, the mental fatigue and ingrained cynicism Evan experiences and “shares” threatens to derail him even more, driving him to PRESS people in a way that is unhealthy for ALL involved. Can he come CLOSE to finding a path out remains the enigma, and watching Kade wade through such overt volatility is rending and yet we DO find time to laugh as well. Just a superb turn by the actor.
Fernando likewise is a portrait of intensely vivacious energy, combustible to the point of wanting to believe he’s overacting but really ISN’T, instead just plowing ahead with a frenzied yet controlled exuberance through his role as Andy, one of Evan’s mainstay actors and a former Disney child star who most definitely has his own crippling demons. Constantly (and with playful, hysterical snideness!) self-assured, Andy tends to try and dominate conversations and situations, even as his addictions rule so much of who he is now, a coping that could potentially upend him in more ways than one. You have to watch the film to understand HOW this all falls for Andy, and it IS an undeniable treat to watch Fernando put this character through his paces, an over-the-top riot that very much steals scenes more than once!
Hausen arrives with a different, but still very conspicuous, fashion of narcissism, a man who KNOWS his worth, even when he feels others don’t appreciate it, while also attempting to make himself greater at his craft than is valid to accept via his role as Ryan. Someone who has been….um….apparently “gifted” physically, which is what has even got him noticed at all, Ryan strives to make his importance key to Evan’s film’s shoot, and it is a riot to watch Hausen imbue this character with plenty of bravado yet also what is honestly a highly unconfident way he sees himself when others call him out on his “acting” abilities. It makes you both empathize and sometimes be irritated by the character, which is a total testament to the believability in portraying this that Hausen begins to the table.
Established cult actor Duval shines brilliantly, adeptly infusing his character with SUCH an ego-driven, contemptible, power-hungry manner through his performance as Sammy, a Hollywood producer who’s about as “clean” as a sludge pit. Assuming command of Evan’s shoot, regardless of every possible resistance and protestation that the jilted director throws at him, Sammy’s entire being screams “pompous a-hole”, and it SHOWS. Even as the circumstances continue to go severely south with Sammy exerting his will upon Even and the movie, will another twist in his story arrive that could put the ball BACK in Evan’s court…or just fuel an already raging fire between them? Duval is simply, deliciously, credibly, and truly comedically vile here, and just like the others here, it just demonstrates the acting talent being brought to bear by an industry vet PLAYING an industry vet.
Finally, but NOT remotely forgotten of course, Caceres burns brightly here as well, exuding a part cocky, part sincerely poised and collected attitude that wholly befits his character, Trace, Sammy’s new boyfriend who bides his time and waits for precisely the right moment to abruptly interject HIS will on Evan. As he does so, it manifests into the possibilities that Evan may have actually discovered his REAL muse, though more for his own reawakening as a no-nonsense director than anything else, with Trace leading him down the path with total commitment of purpose and devilishly unyielding resolution. Is it REALLY a GOOD thing, though? Caceres ushers us through his character’s journey with a fully unwavering performance that showcases the actor’s range featuring understated and assertive drive.
So, in total, while yes there were a host of sequences in the film I again didn’t quite latch onto, I won’t allow that to take away from the unequivocal fact that “Cutaways” serves as an explicitly point-blank dive into the industry’s black heart while purposefully providing us plenty of unadulterated lunacy to laugh at along the way, even if sometimes we just might be uncomfortable doing so!
STAR RATING (out of 5):
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
