Fantastic Fest 2013 Review: Proxy (2013)

Cast: Joe Swanberg, Alexa Havins, Kristina Klebe
Director: Zack Parker
Country: USA
Genre: Drama | Horror | Thriller
Official Trailer: Here

Editor’s Notes: The following review is part of our coverage of Fantastic Fest 2013. For more information on the festival visit http://fantasticfest.com and follow Fantastic Fest on Twitter at @fantasticfest.

Zack Parker’s Proxy opens with a brutal beating, depicts a bloody shooting at its midway point, and culminates in another merciless killing. Nestled between these three chilling acts of violence is an equally chilling tale of loneliness, grief, and mental instability. Working from a script penned by both himself and Kevin Donner, Parker seamlessly follows the lives of four different people and depicts the process of their lives intersecting with a skill on level with Soderbergh’s Traffic, Haggis’s Crash, and even Iñárritu’s Babel – admittedly on a smaller scale, but just as concise.

This is a film that will keep you guessing until the end, a clear testament to Parker’s gifted storytelling abilities. There’s never a clear protagonist in the film, though one could make an argument that the protagonist of the movie is the theme of loneliness and grief that is present from the very beginning of the film.

Mere days away from her due date, the very pregnant Esther Woodhouse (Alexia Rasmussen) is attacked and brutally beaten by a mugger after leaving her doctor appointment. Working with cinematographer Jim Timperman, Parker doesn’t shy away from showing us the graphic details of the mugging. We look on in horror as the mugger beats Esther’s pregnant stomach with a brick. It’s an incredibly hard scene to watch, one that sets a dark tone that will permeate the rest of the film.

After losing her child, Esther begins attending a counseling group for those who have suffered similar traumatic experiences. She meets Alexa (Melanie Michaels), a woman mourning the abduction of her son. Esther takes a liking to Alexa, and the two begin calling each other and scheduling times to spend time together and talk. It’s through these conversations that we finally begin to learn more about the soft-spoken Esther.

With the exception of her possessive lover Anika (Kristina Klebe), Esther has nobody in her life. The hospital staff balks at her statement that she has no friends to call. Esther is an extremely lonely person. Anika has no desire to e a parent, and Esther went through a sperm bank to get pregnant. In one of the first major shocking twists in the film, Esther admits that she never had a desire to be a mother, but she craved the attention and recognition that came with being an expecting mother. Before she was pregnant, nobody glanced her way or even made any attempt to talk to her. It quickly becomes apparent that not only is Esther incapable of being a good mother, but she is also mentally unstable. Even Anika admits that her girlfriend isn’t right in the head, but that’s exactly what attracts her to Esther.

The lonely Esther understandably becomes attached to Alexa and craves her presence every moment. She’s certain she’s found in Alexa a friend for life – perhaps even more than that. However, things take a turn for the strange when Esther witnesses Anika enacting a strange ritual.

A huge part of Proxy’s success lies in its unpredictability and uncanny knack of playing with its audience’s expectations. As you might already be able to tell, there are constant twists and turns in the plot. I’ve already given away too much of the movie, but believe me when I say this is a movie that gets crazier as the story moves forward. This is a film that will keep you guessing until the end, a clear testament to Parker’s gifted storytelling abilities. There’s never a clear protagonist in the film, though one could make an argument that the protagonist of the movie is the theme of loneliness and grief that is present from the very beginning of the film. None of the characters are likeable, and characters we think are stable human beings turn out to be some of the craziest people ever put to film.

The glaring exception to the film’s roster of unlikable characters lies in Joe Swanberg’s performance as Patrick, a man burdened with guilt and anger after killing the woman who murdered his little boy. It’s a subtle, deliciously nuanced performance of a someone that could have easily have come off as a boring stock character.

The glaring exception to the film’s roster of unlikable characters lies in Joe Swanberg’s performance as Patrick, a man burdened with guilt and anger after killing the woman who murdered his little boy. It’s a subtle, deliciously nuanced performance of a someone that could have easily have come off as a boring stock character. About midway into the film, Swanberg delivers what may be the film’s most important line of dialogue.

“How should the father of a dead son look,” Patrick lashes out in anguish. How does one deal with grief and loneliness? Everyone has their own way. Some, like Patrick, just go numb and can barely function. Others, like the rest of characters in Proxy, are a ticking time bomb. It’s only a matter of time before they snap.

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Daniel Tucker

Director of Media & Staff Film Critic

I never knew how movies could make your imagination soar until I saw "Star Wars," I never realized how inspiring they could be until I saw "Rocky," and I never truly appreciated film until I saw "Goodfellas." Film has been a central part of my life as long as I can remember and it continues to mold who I am. My " movies to watch" list is miles longer than my "movies I have watched" list. My only regret is not having enough time to watch them all.

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