Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: ZOE [Dances With Films NY - New York, New York]

"Zoe" is a film of magical realism that is a great comedy, has genre spinnings, doesn't take itself too seriously, is a bit dirty and works with its locations in a beautiful way that makes it so much more than what it could have been. This comes down to Emanuela Galliussi who wrote, stars and co-directs the film. Her feelings seem all over this film. She makes fun of herself but she knows who she is. The set up is wonderfully self-deprecating and yet yearning without being overtly so. Set initially in Italy, her character Zoe seems to think that she is going to be proposed to and even plays it out in the most self-aggrandizing way possible and then drowns her sorrow in a fountain...and booze. This allows for the magical realism set up. Most times this would be a quick concept for a short but because it is broken up in three sequences bordered by the reality on the bookends, there is an undeniable progression that feels well paced and earned. Zoe is still the same girl. She is not infinitely smarter at the end but she can see what she is missing and what she expects. The film is co-directed by Galliussi's partner in real life: Dean Matthew Ronalds who obviously knows her well. Like "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", "Zoe" has the ability to be something bigger or at least give Galliussi the ability to move forward with something else because of the strength of this. Galluissi speaks a couple different language here and delivers the comedy and dramatic necessity in every one of them.

Zoe wants to fall in love and she is given the opportunity in three different places: Ibiza, London and Paris...but like "Groundhog Day" or more likely "Quantum Leap" where there is no context to what she did as this version of herself the day before she arrives, Zoe needs to simply play it out. They all have a farcical nature but they also reflect each of something that she wants. Ibiza reflects in a young man. Zoe is into him but the connection where it turns is both comedic and a trainwreck. The second in London is much more stable and you can see Zoe flittering with the party idea she has found but as something else comes into play it gives her a more grown up perspective to the moment. The final one in Paris plays out interestingly because as the writer she also completely misdirects in all ways what her character thinks. It subverts Zoe's alpha ideal in a beta way that works out badly for the character but leads her back to where she needs to be which is right where she started. Zoe's life is not perfect but it is hers and feels whimsical. "Zoe" works because Galliussi is a great comedienne without becoming a parody. Her personality is both beautiful and sad, manic and lost, ignorant and arrogant...but never mean...and that is the key. As a result of that, some great timing and beautiful locations (they insisted shooting on these actual spots -- though as an independent film that meant waiting) but it worked out because it was done on a shoestring. However, it still looks and feels like a million bucks. A

By Tim Wassberg