The Movie
One of the challenges for the audience of a truly original movie such as Rubber is settling into the appropriate groove. Is it a comedy, or meant to be taken seriously? I was worried early on that one character's speech about things happening in movies for "No reason"--including a litany of seemingly nonsensical plot points in famous flicks--was a vain attempt to be deep. I needn't have fretted: Hyphenate writer/director Quentin Dupieux was merely letting us in on the central absurdity of his creation, reminding us that a little suspension of belief can go a long way.
Robert goes a long way too. He's a discarded rubber tire in a dump who with no warning (and no reason) springs to life one fine day. And he not only thinks and moves under his own power, but he also possesses psychokinetic abilities, so he quickly graduates from running stuff over to blowing stuff up. With his mind. Which is made of rubber.
His murder spree is tempered only by his affections (also rubber-based) for a female traveler he encounters on his journey. Some folks show the appropriate level of terror, or confusion, but all of the events are being viewed with detached interest by a bunch of spectators with binoculars, unexplained devotees somewhat like displaced characters from Waiting for Godot. I know it sounds weird, and it is. But I'm pretty sure it's the good kind of weird.
The Picture
Shot digitally (is that a rule for movies from Magnolia, studio of HDNet CEO/co-founder Mark Cuban?) Rubber is built largely upon clean, sharp desert scenes, but soon enough stair-stepping and frequent moiré intrude. It's serious enough to be distracting, perhaps most noticeable on the straw hat of the hotel manager, but elsewhere too, even where we might not expect it. Nasty.
The Sound
By design no doubt, the effects in the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack are indistinguishable from the music... or is it the other way around? The audio definitely does its own number on our head, as when the tire channels its bizarre energies with rumble and quiver right before blasting something to bloody smithereens. Rear-channel usage is respectable, with a strong representation of off-camera space.
The Extras
There are video interviews with director Dupieux (in French, conducted by a rubber sex doll, and I'm pretty sure the video is being played backward) along with actors Stephen Spinella, Jack Plotnick and Roxanne Mesquida, about 24 minutes total. There are also about a minute's worth of camera tests of the tire, in addition to one of those quick packaged promotional shorts for the movie from HDNet. All of these extras are in 1080i high definition. The trailer is in full 1080p/24. The disc also supports BD-Live connectivity.
Final Thoughts
I didn't know what to expect from Rubber, other than that it was about a sentient tire, but that is just the beginning. It's really all about defying expectations, which in a world of sameness and clichés isn't such a bad intent. One of my expectations was that the video would have looked a little more professional, though. Still worth at least a rental, certainly, for the open-minded.
Product Details
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