#2wkfilm "The Dabbler ..." Review

It's really hard for me to review films in more than a few words. It's hard because I know how much effort goes into making and promoting even the smallest art house movie. It's hard because I cannot easily be objective on the craft without also being hypercritical. It's hard because I've seen it all before. So I'm pleasantly surprised to be lost for words on how to describe Reid Gershbein's #2wkfilm (a feature length movie shot and edited within two weeks). Technically I believe the production values have improved compared to Gershbein's "Here. My Explosion .." (HME) and it builds upon the voyeuristic tilt-shift long-lensed style which is all his own. However, as with HME, it wasn't so much the presentation that kept me watching as it was the ideas contained within. I can only describe Gershbein as the Philip K. Dick of the indie filmmaker world. As I was watching, it became clear that the presentation wasn't the primary vehicle I was paying attention to, it was the high concept idea that the world could breakdown and people would still ... be people. Like characters in Dick's stories the characters in The Dabbler deal with the situation by not dwelling on it so much as figuring out how to move forward. Reality and fantasy are intercut as a matter of fact and it is up to the viewer to decide which is which or if you are divining what does not exist outside of your own mind. Just as Dick was misunderstood and unpopular (along with the science fiction genre) whilst his writing was most prolific, it takes an open mind to engage with The Dabbler, one that has not been conditioned to expect every indie film to have a "low" budget of a couple of million. The Dabbler was made for a hundred bucks with a crew of one in two weeks. If you're a fan of Philip K. Dick's writing more than the Hollywood interpretations of his work, I think you'll find a lot of parallels and a lot to like in The Dabbler and indeed HME.

The Dabbler can be viewed/downloaded for free, as can Here. My Explosion. Personally I think there's room for a trilogy before Gershbein needs to prove he's not a one-trick pony or before raising the bar, the budget and number of production staff.