Sorry, Haters (2005)

Sorry, Haters (2005)An emotionally intense but cinematically thin movie. I'm not sure where that leaves a viewer--I think it depends on what you want from a movie. The theme is ripe. An immigrant (a Muslim) with immigration problems meets a troubled woman (played by Robin Wright Penn) who abuses his situation. At it's most intense and personal it's moving and disturbing, and sad, if such terrible drama can just be plain old sad. But there are improbabilities (including the way their first meeting in a cab becomes very personal, with another woman and her child, in the blink of an eye). And there is a kind of plainness to it all, the writing, the filming, the story itself, that is linear and not quite enough to keep it going. It's true, I think, that being low budget was not an issue, but even within the style it was filmed, there might have been a better sense of camera-work and editing. The one thing that pushes forward best is the acting, often conspicuous for exceeding the writing. Director and writer Jeff Stanzer deserves a nod for trying, but he's only taken this half way, was a movie.Do I recommend this? I think only if you like Penn, like indie films about serious contemporary issues regardless of quality, or if you are interested in the theme of Muslim integration and devotion to not being integrated. It might surprise some people with its honesty and tenderness, between the long lulls. But others will sense, in the first twenty minutes, the tone of the whole movie, and might back out. For those latter, the ending is an intense surprise, and disturbing to the point of demented, so there is a need, perhaps, to stick it out, just for that five minutes. But then again, maybe not.

It is ironical that Sean Penn portrayed a violent psychopath so brilliantly in THE ASSASSINATION OF RICHARD NIXON only the year before (2004, see my review), and that his ex-wife Robert Wright Penn has here portrayed a female equivalent character equally brilliantly. Surely they should have stayed married if they can both psychose so well. Why not do it together rather than in separate films? Oh well, more people would probably get blown up that way. This film has an unfortunate title which is bound to have put everyone off and diminished the audience. After all, how is the public supposed to know that 'Sorry, Haters' is the title of a TV series about rich celebrities made by the company Robin Penn's character works for? OK, so it relates ultimately to this film as well, but that is really carrying subtlety too far, and was certainly counterproductive. This film was written and directed by Jeff Stanzler. Unlike many script writers, he can direct his own work very well indeed. And as for the script and the plot, they are so fantastically ingenious that this ranks as one of the most unexpected thrillers I have ever seen. It is a truly innovative film noir. It is very rare for any one to be clever enough to get such new angles and come up with a story this original in such a well-ploughed genre. There is nothing listed for Stanzler professionally in the five years since he did this. Is he getting his strength back after this harrowing and utterly brilliant shocker? The film twists our preconceptions about current events concerning terrorist atrocities into unrecognisable and novel shapes. The setup of a stooge in this film is just as ingenious as the one portrayed in ARLINGTON ROAD. Robin Penn begins the film as a highly strung and neurotic independent TV producer who takes a taxi. The driver is a devout Muslim who wears a little white hat but speaks fluent English and French. He is a refugee from Syria, and as he takes Penn on an extremely long drive costing about $200, he and she become acquainted. He stops off to see his sister-in-law (played by French actress Elodie Bouchez, see my review of her in PACT OF SILENCE, i.e. LE PACTE DU SILENCE, 2003) and baby niece. He is trying to get his brother released from confinement as a terrorist suspect and Penn offers to get a lawyer to draft an official letter for him about this to the authorities. But countless bizarre events happen, one after another, in bewildering succession, and it turns out that Penn is not a TV producer after all, but merely a lower-level employee of the company, and the office she had appeared to use was that of her old friend Phyllis, brilliantly played by Sandra Oh (who is of Korean extraction). Phyllis's husband and child turn out to be the ones which Penn had told the taxi driver were her own ex-husband and her own child, and this is revealed to be untrue. But that's only the beginning of the surprises. Things get stranger and stranger. It turns out that Penn, who is treated by Phyllis as her best friend, is really a sociopath and psychotic who secretly hates her and wants to harm her (she scratches the paint off her car covertly, for instance). But her moment of truth is when she revels in the fact that the only time Phyllis ever called her and 'was weak' and needed comforting was on the day of 9/11. She says: 'That was the only time I felt I was not just a nobody. I want that day back.' However, I do not want to ruin the surprises by telling any more. Suffice it to say that if you want to stage a terror attack in New York, and you are clever enough to blame it on an innocent Muslim whom you pick up in a taxi, well you might appear in this film. Abdel Kechiche, a Tunisian actor, does a superb job of playing the difficult and complex role of Ashade, the taxi driver. He fully matches the intensity of Robin Penn's performance with his own.

"Sorry, Haters" is a disturbing film written and directed by Jeff Stanzler. In it,d the viewer is taken to meet a lonely woman who is appears to be on a path toward insanity. It combines recent events with the actions of a misguided individual that is bent in destroying a human being.This is a film that gives an opportunity to Robin Wright Penn to create one of the most complex characters one has seen in movies recently. Phoebe has unresolved issues within herself. She sees an opportunity to redeem herself by destroying Ashade, an Arab taxi driver trying to make a living in Manhattan. Phoebe, who have experienced frustration in her life, plays dirty tricks on Ashade, a kind soul that doesn't deserve what is in store for him.Not content with eliminating the taxi driver, Phoebe involves his innocent sister-in-law who is an illegal alien. This woman is dangerous; she us a mousy individual who wants to get rid of any threats, real or otherwise. That is why she feels she must destroy Ashade, the enemy she perceives him to be. Also, her relationship with a more successful partner, Phyllis, comes into play. Everything changed with the September 11th attacks, which, in a way, propelled Phoebe into insanity.Robin Wright Penn is a joy to watch in the movie. She never makes a false move; Ms. Wright Penn is an intelligent actress who gets under the skin of any of her screen characters. It's rather doubtful any other female player would have given life to her Phoebe the way she does. Abdel Kenishe is seen as Ashade, the poor taxi driver singled out by Phoebe. Sandra Oh who appears as Phyllis is also in top form. Josh Hamilton is not even credited with his appearance as Phyllis' husband."Sorry, Haters" is not an easy film to sit through. The best reward for the viewer lays in Robin Wright Penn's portrayal of a disturbed soul.

This film focuses on a few people in New York City whose lives have been altered indirectly by the events of 9/11...viewers will be thinking about it for a long time afterward. It forced me to look at my own thoughts and actions regarding prejudice, stereotypes and assumptions about other people. How many times have you unfairly formed an opinion of someone based upon initial appearances or pre-conceived notions? I know that I'm guilty of it (and too often). The movie's examination of this topic is especially timely - given the current level of intolerance in the United States, and the lack of accountability within a government system supposedly based upon liberty and justice for all.Although Phoebe (the blond, fair-skinned American) appears to be "normal" to the rest of the world...she is actually a very disturbed, dangerous person who has been poisoned by her own loneliness, paranoia and hatred. Meanwhile, the Muslim characters (who find themselves in a very unfortunate situation through no fault of their own) are deeply spiritual, well- educated and harmless. Phoebe's distorted perception is that she is the victim, and she empowers herself through acts of vandalism, self-mutilation (cutting) and violence.I won't give away the ending, but be prepared to say "Wow!" I was emotionally exhausted after watching the film, and discussion of the scenes and characters continued at our house for several days. Realism and great cinematography are the icing on the cake of this powerful film. I recommend it highly.