Wah Do Dem
2/4/10
Fish-out-of-water movies are nothing new, but there’s something supremely gratifying about watching a self-absorbed Brooklyn hipster abandoned and left to flounder in a developing country. The daily angst of choosing which ironic sunglasses to wear pales in comparison to deciding which trash heap to sleep under. And while the film’s message almost makes a statement about expanding one’s world view, the filmmakers made it clear in the Q&A that they really just wanted to make a movie about a guy who loves reggae and goes to Jamaica.
As far as lo-fi movies go, Wah Do Dem was pretty decent. It’s becoming more difficult for me to understand my frustration with micro-budget films that get big-screen play, but I think it has to do with the disparate levels of professionalism across various elements of these types of movies. The editing was solid in this film, and the acting was fine. But the camerawork and cinematography lacked intent, and were amateurish at best. (Save for a handful of moments in the middle of the film in which it seemed to find its artistic stride— though it did not last long.)
I actually do feel bad that I’m trashing this movie so much, because it was definitely better and more interesting than many other films I’ve seen lately. Unfortunately, it is now my vehicle to vent about low-budget films finding a relatively large audience that it maybe doesn’t quite deserve. I don’t even want to comment on some of the cultural weirdness inherent in the magical negro scenes toward the end, which felt more like a caricature than genuine portrait of the area. These privileged filmmakers from Brooklyn have more to learn, but show enough strengths that I remain optimistic about their future.
