Rubber (2010)

The next movie is a 2010 french trash-comedy called "Rubber" about a CAR TIRE on the road on killing spree. What is certainly a sympathetic premise doesn't ever deliver. Sadly the tire never really accelerates.

There is a promising introduction at the beginning of the film actually introducing a group of people to a film within the film, them to be the audience. "The film you are about to see today is an homage to the no reason - that most powerful element of style."

That first scene is probably the best in the film.
And from there we ... go:

Our protagonist is a car tire that came to life in the desert ... and it is evil.
It has some kind of telepathic power to do one thing and one thing only: destroy and kill!
For quite a while we (and the audience in the desert) are watching the tire rolling around through the sand and encounter its first enemies. What is fun for few minutes takes way too long until the tire finally reaches a little town. But of course the inhabitants and more importantly the police are behind him soon.

Now if you think this might lead up to some exciting chase and/or action sequences, sadly, you are wrong. I think there was a lot potential there. I won't spoil how the human beings from the beginning of the film are further involved but I can tell you it doesn't really work at all. It isn't very funny and it doesn't make a lot of sense either.

The big problem of the film is the pacing. Half of the time nothing really happens. We spend too much time with the tire alone - naturally not a very interesting character. The makers showed that they did not mind to start off with pure silliness but then they didn't go for it. There is not enough passion and energy here to make this a fun little ride. My guess is that they had the few good scenes and then simply rushed the film out filling up the empty space with ... well, emptiness.

For the actors, there is not much to say about the acting at all. Stephen Spinella as the "police chief" is kind of good in his goofy role and the only human character worth our attention. He is not only the police chief but also the guide through the "film within the film" and when the two strands are about to meld it's great to see that even he is struggling to see the meaning in all this. As we do.

The film wants to comment on Hollywood's uninspired productions but handles its own ideas with little cleverness and creativity. It's like they tell a joke but forgot the punchline. Once you get over the jokey premise the movie is rather repetetive and exhausting. There are some inventive scenes and a handfull of really funny moments but the pace is way too slow for the material and the human beings are not enough and not well enough integrated into the film.

The nice concept is not well thought out even though the basic approach is actually promising and had a lot more potential. A better screenplay and a more energetic fast-paced staging could have made this a little trash hit. But, frankly, with this execution, it's pretty much dismissable.