Expired

Self-oppressed Claire (Samantha Morton)lives with her stroke-afflicted mother in aChristmas-decorated apartment and worksas a meter maid in downtown Santa Monica.Macho-weirdo Jay (Jason Patric) patrols thesame streets, and somehow, contact arises. Itis not a sweet love story that develops amongthe parked cars. Accompanied by insults fromthe car owners, Jay and Claire share a workdespised by all – and a heavy loneliness. Jay isverbally, and sometimes physically, abusive, andreacts to all communication as attacks. Clairelets people use her like a doormat. Their mutualdesperation for something instead of nothingleads them into a turbulent relationship. Thecharacters’ differences are emphasized by theset design and the color palette. Jay watchesporn on his flat screen monitor, while Claire keeps up the intimate, nostalgic atmosphere inher mother’s flat with her dead father’s toy carsstill on the shelf. Filmed solely with a steadycam,this Southern California comedy-noirdrama explores loneliness and self-hatred.

Face2Face:
Sunday 18 November
GRAND 18.00
WITH: Cecilia Miniucchi (director)
MODERATOR: Caroline Hainer (freelance journalist)