SUDDENLY, THE MOVIE – SLIFF Review

One of the more rare genres of filmmaking is the cinema of absurdity, which can actually be defined in various ways. SUDDENLY, THE MOVIE (De repente, la pelicula) is an absurd comedy, written and directed by veteran Venezuelan filmmaker Luis Armando Roche. New to the genre, this is an experimental film for Roche, derived from a script written 25 years ago. This is a passion project by a filmmaker already well-established in his home country, a filmmaker who has already had films play international festivals such as his 1977 film THE MOVING PICTURE MAN, which played Cannes Film Festival.

SUDDENLY, THE MOVIE is by many definitions not a traditional film. It’s clear that Roche intended to break all the rules, a tactic perfectly acceptable by filmmaker’s with as much experience under their belt. As they say, “you must learn the rules before you can break them.”

I am not going to beat around the bush and get all fluffy by saying the film is perfect. By definition, it cannot be a perfect film because nearly the entire film is improvised. Yes, the entire film, not just the acting. Roche began with a script as his foundation, then took the improvisational concept we’ve seen so many times from Christopher Guest and crew (such as WAITING FOR GUFFMAN, or BEST IN SHOW) and applies it in full effect to a film about the horrors of filmmaking.

SUDDENLY, THE MOVIE follows a young filmmaker named John Loveland, played by Carlos Antonio Leon, who begins production on a film in the Amazon jungle, but when things don’t work out, returns to shoot on location in Caracas, Venezuela. What quickly becomes abundantly clear, is that the film’s shady producer, played by Roche himself, has no interest in spending any more money than is minimally necessary.

Production quickly breaks down into chaos, and crew members begin dropping like flies. As everything begins to fall apart, Loveland chooses to embrace the chaos and frustration of disaster and instead makes what can be an anti-movie, a film where every flaw, every mistake and setback is utilized as a way of making some artistic statement. What ensues is a series of slapstick mishaps and absurdist antics, from piñata props and beer drinking parrots to an unexpected homage to Bollywood. In fact, most of SUDDENLY, THE MOVIE is unexpected.

SUDDENLY, THE MOVIE is definitely a meta-movie, a film within a film, dually conscious of itself. While some of the humor may get lost in the cultural translation, much of it remains in tact for the American audience, producing laughter and even a welcome sense of awe inspired by the amazement of what is seen on screen.

If given the opportunity to experience this film, the best advice I can offer is to remember, everything from the acting to the structure, the story and even the technology behind the production are all improvised. For that reason alone, SUDDENLY, THE MOVIE should attract many a film buff as this off-the-cuff style of filmmaking is a rare cinematic experience.