Review: Alejandro Adams' CANARY
Alejandro Adams' film Canary is the filmed equivalent of an experimental novel. It is dense, complex and spirals off into numerous directions. It is also a small-budget film that successfully blends thought provoking, as opposed to preachy, social commentary with novel forms of visual story telling.
The name of the film comes from its fictional subject: a company called Canary Industries. Canary specializes in "organ redistribution" or leasing organs to people who need them. The catch is that those who accept these organs must also sign a “Conscientious Usage” contract that allows Canary to repo the organs if the recipient abuses their body. To this end, Canary employs various “organ redistribution specialists" to retrieve the body parts when people violate their contracts. Babies, young kids, teenagers and adults all receive the same deal: take care of the organs or they will be taken back.
The previous description makes the film sound like a science-fiction thriller but Canary isn't a genre film at all. The film ditches a linear narrative in favor of an experimental structure. The organ harvesting company is explored through the unique, shifting perspectives of the people and industries effected by it (e.g., employees, public relations firms, news media, and organ donors). A central character floats in and out of many of the scenes, which connects the events taking place to the movie's core subject. Adams uses a documentary shooting style full of voyeuristic closeups. Scenes occur in German, Russian and Vietnamese but the film intentionally has no subtitles. Other scenes feature chaotic, overlapping dialogue that recall moments by Robert Altman but with the volume turned way up. The sum effect is to place the viewer in the position of an eavesdropper in an alien world of secrets and shady acts that exist beneath the surface of everyday life.
Each viewer will come away with a different interpretation of the film's main themes but Canary can be viewed as a commentary on the set of complex relationships between the medical establishment, marketing, journalism and business. The film presents a sophisticated (and cynical) view of all of these areas. For example, a PR company hired by Canary wants to turn the company into the "Coke of organ harvesting." Television journalists want to make the news instead of reporting it by pushing a nebulous organ harvesting conspiracy story to their viewing audience. Canary's daily operations look like a chaotic doctor's office medical except for the fact that employees sternly threaten kids with organ repossession if they don't behave.
Canary demands a lot from the viewer but the film is consistently fascinating, even where it purposefully attempts to distance the viewer. Canary is playing on April 16th, 2009 as part of the inaugural edition of Migrating Forms. Other screenings are in the works so interested viewers should monitor ScreenAnarchy as well as the calendars of their favorite festivals for upcoming dates.
