The Color Wheel
United States
2011
83 Min
Black and White
English
Synopsis
A comedy to be sure, but an exceedingly strange one, or better yet, described by the director as an “objectional comedy about disappointment and forgiveness”, the second feature from Perry (Impolex) follows the transformative road trip of JR (comedian Carlen Altman) and her brother Colin—played by the director—with whom she has a hopelessly complicated relationship. In beautifully grainy black and white 16mm, lensed by talented DP Sean Price Williams (Frownland), JR and Colin’s sibling rivalry simmers as they encounter past lovers, crushes, bullies, and classmates, and as put so well by Eric Allen Hatch of the Maryland Film Festival “only to rediscover why neither of them can stand each other. Along the way, they encounter a world full of people whose opinion of the duo is equally low.” —BAM
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Neo-Gloom
13May13
There are moments where its "mumblecore" roots become too prevalent for my taste, but ARP's ultra-grainy vision of a drab world inhabited by deviants, losers and jerks makes the film shine among its contemporaries. In the constantly expanding ocean of American indies that deal with talkative, off-track 20-somethings, this is one of the only titles I'd recommend. I'm interested in seeing what Perry takes on next.
HKFanatic
15Mar13
Acidly hilarious and keenly observed, "The Color Wheel" is enough to restore one's faith in American independent cinema. I love how Alex Ross Perry and Carlen Altman's vocal tics and off-kilter line readings make most scenes feel adlibbed, when in fact the entire film was scripted. Carlen Altman deserves to be the next Greta Gerwig-style indie darling after taking such a narcissistic character and somehow making her endearing thanks to Altman's natural comedic talent. "The Color Wheel" is a road movie in which two people slowly realize that they don't fit in anywhere in the world except with each other. The fact that they're brother and sister complicates things but, refreshingly, the filmmakers don't treat their characters' actions as some grave transgression; these two misfits are simply allowed to be.
menencorio and David Grillo like this
Mark Garrett
12Mar13
An open wound assailed by dirt and eventual infection. The scars of jokes and comedy when they find truth, growing into a gash.
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Our roundup of essays and articles on this film.
The Noteworthy: Indie Spirit, "The Irishman", The Godard Paradox
By Adam Cook on November 28, 2012
Independent Spirit Awards nominations, Daney on Godard, Jack Nicholson & Antonioni, a trio of Film Comment pieces, and more.
Notebook's 4th Writers Poll: Fantasy Double Features of 2011
By Notebook on January 3, 2012
In our annual poll, we pair our favorite new films of 2011 with older films seen in the same year to create fantastic double features.
AFI FEST 2011
By David Hudson on November 3, 2011
This year’s edition features the premieres of Eastwood’s J. Edgar and Soderbergh’s Haywire.
The Golden Donkey Locarno 2011
By The Ferroni Brigade on September 21, 2011
Our unique awards for this year’s Locarno: prizes for films by Straub, Tetsuya, Perry and one by none other than Vincente Minnelli.
Slang Rap Democracy
By Daniel Kasman on July 31, 2011
Cinema that talks hip: Raoul Walsh’s Me and My Gal (1932) and Alex Ross Perry’s The Color Wheel (2011).
The Lower Depths: Alex Ross Perry and "The Color Wheel"
By Ignatiy Vishnevetsky on June 18, 2011
The Color Wheel is 83 minutes long. About 9 minutes and 40 seconds of those 83 minutes (i.e. roughly 1/9th) are taken up by a single shot
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