When college students hear the term "bureaucracy," they usually react in one of two ways. Students either launch into a heated and fervent debate or cringe at the word and often try to distance themselves from the conversation as much as possible. I confess that I am in that second group; after the past year in the United States, further debate about our country's economic practices does nothing but run up my bill for aspirin. So when I heard that the Alumni Association would host a screening Sept. 25 of Proactive Pictures' film, Bureaucracy, my first instinct was to stay far away.
Proactive Pictures is a production company composed of four University of Virginia alumni: Andrew Perreault, Matthew Webber and Brian Kirby from the Class of 2005 as well as Jay Hoover from the Class of 1981. The company claims to have a focus on independent filmmaking, specifically "to realize the inherent benefits of integrating the art and business of filmmaking into a cohesive organization," according to its press release.
The movie has received honors at seven film festivals so far, including "Best Drama" at the Bare Bones Film Festival and "Best Crime Drama" at The Indie Gathering.
When the movie first began, though, I could not, for the life of me, understand how it had received such acclaim. The prelude music is a simple repetition of four piano notes that resembled a musical cross between the silent films of Charlie Chaplin and the horror films of Michael Myers in Halloween.
The story follows Roger Van Gundy (Jack Robinson), an aspiring office clerk struggling with financial problems and the care of his blind sister. He is a "clerk with the responsibilities of a manager," as his coworker states in the movie, struggling with an income of less than $17,000 to cover the work of his boss, who leaves at 2 p.m. each afternoon for a golf game and earns 10 times Roger's salary. When Roger learns of his boss' corruption, he plans an outrageous scheme of murder.
The occasional scenes of the film that do not include Roger's premeditated murder resemble a low-quality, unentertaining version of The Office. There is an awkward spark between Roger and the company's sweet secretary Patricia (Kaitlyn Black), competition between two workplace pests strongly resembling Dwight Schrute and Andy Bernard, and an overall sense of the incompetence of Roger's boss. The office workers congregate around the water jug and throw bizarre office parties, but what good is any version of The Office without Steve Carell?
For a production company with a budget of only $5,000, however, Proactive Pictures has created a masterpiece. The peculiar, clownish music is tolerated because John Williams works on too high a commission, and the rough patches of uncomfortable silences and laughable tantrums are easily excused by the inexperience of the underpaid actors, who otherwise masterfully execute their lines of dry wit. When the limitations of such few resources are considered, Bureaucracy delivers an extremely enjoyable experience.
I went in expecting another monotonous documentary about the American economy. Instead, I got a film of suspense. Although I do not condone violence in any way, shape or form, I found myself wishing for Roger's success in his murderous endeavor. I do not know if I sympathized with Roger insomuch as I wanted the plot to finally climax, but by the end of the film, I was biting my nails wondering what would happen next.
The producers' greatest achievement, here, is that they do not tell you what happens next. The entire ending is left to viewers' imaginations. Normally I do not appreciate that kind of stunt, but this time it suits the uniqueness of the film. Do Roger and Patricia live happily ever after? Will the plot be exposed and Roger caught? Unless Proactive Pictures is planning a sequel for one of its upcoming suspense and comedy films, we may never know.
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