本來不打算再寫電影節筆記，但實在不能不談最後看的這一部《Towelhead》。
《Towelhead》改編自 Alicia Erian 的同名小說，是中東裔的美國女孩 Jasira 的成長故事。導演（和編劇）是電視劇《Six Feet Under》的 Alan Ball，《American Beauty》的劇本也是他的作品。《American Beauty》揭開了美國中產的美麗糖衣，《Towelhead》野心更大，由戰爭到種族歧視，由文化差異到少年性好奇，包羅萬有。
單看 trailer，或會覺得有點《Little Miss Sunshine》的影子。兩片風格的確有相似之處，都是一班背景不同，性格各異的人，在一個妙想天開的處境下碰撞出的笑話。《Little Miss Sunshine》故事比較荒謬，但人物角色分明，目標明朗，是齣簡單開心的 feel-good movie。相比之下，《Towelhead》故事可信性高些，但戲中各人性格都有點曖昧，令觀眾在笑聲中也帶點保留。
《Towelhead》想說的題目繁多，不過導演拍得十分流暢。笑料雖然不是太多，但有些是頗值得玩味的，尤甚是關於種族關係的描寫。例如，Jasira 固執的爸爸 Rifat 不讓她跟男孩 Thomas 交往，Rifat 的女朋友Denise 質問其中原因：
Dennise：why？
Thomas：because I am black.
Dennise：haha.
Thomas：（沉默）
Dennise：oh my God.
很多類似的帶刺的幽默，可能只有美國人才能心領神會。
《Towelhead》中的演員，每個都演得很出色。Peter Macdissi 飾演嚴厲和神經質的敍利亞裔爸爸，古怪惹笑之餘，又不近人情得有點恐怖。Aaron Eckhart 演的那個白人 redneck 鄰居角色，我想一百個男明星中，九十九個也不敢接。主角 Jasira 是個很矛盾的複雜角色，Summer Bishil 演來頭頭是道。十九歲的她，演十三歲的Jasira一點也不牽強。我覺得，這角色比 Ellen Page 的 Juno 更難掌握。
不過，到電影公映時，人們談論的將只會是一件事：《Towelhead》是不是越了界？
因為，這是女孩 Jasira 赤裸裸的成長故事。赤裸裸的不是鏡頭，而是導演毫無保留的處理手法。那挑戰觀眾底線的程度，可謂一浪接一浪，低處未見低。月經和衛生棉條？無傷大雅的笑話而已。色情雜誌和避孕套......是不是開始有點不安？Pubic hair？Masturbation？都只是冰山一角。
看到最令人震驚的那一幕時，我相信每一個觀眾都在問：有沒有這個必要？
《Towelhead》八月會在美國上映。到時候，一定會惹來很激烈的爭議，被杯葛也不足為奇。或許，這也是一種宣傳策略，說不定電影還可能會爆冷賣座。我卻奇怪，在視侵犯兒童為洪水猛獸的美國，它為甚麼能逃過NC-17的命運？
This looks interesting (and I like anything with Toni Colette in it). I saw the Youtube trailer you posted and it left me wondering if the explosive scene that you're referring to had anything to do with Aaron Eckhart's character (I think I can guess at what his role is given what you wrote about 99% of actors wouldn't have dared play it)?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I'm wondering if you could clear things up for me in regard to the film title "towelhead": it's a perjorative term for Indian Sikhs over in the UK (referring to the men's headdress), but it seems to refer instead to Middle-East Muslims in the States? Also, if indeed we're talking Middle-East Arabic origin, wouldn't it be the mother or a close female relative who will be instructing the young girl in matters to do with tampons and such? Even in Western cultures, the female hygiene business is handled in mother-daughter, or in any case a female-to-female context, and rarely will a father figure be involved, especially not the kind of old-school domineering patriarch type Dad that Macdissi's playing in this movie.
Anyway, thanks for whetting my appetite, I'd keep an eye out for this if and when the film makes it over here.
snowdrops: The trailer pretty much gives it away. Yes, it is Eckhart and it is what you think it is…and more!
ReplyDelete“Towelhead” is the title of Erian’s novel. It is an offensive slur, but she gets away with it since it is (supposedly) an auto-biography. I don’t think the title singles out any particular ethnic group. It just reflects the ignorance of many Americans, who group all people with middle-eastern background under the same derogatory label.
The movie was released under a more innocuous name “Nothing is Private” in past festivals, but they decided to stick with the original in Sundance. Consider all the incendiary materials in the movie, a midly controversial title is probably the least to worry about!
Jasira’s white mother throws her out to her dad. That’s why Macdissi becomes the one to deal with the “periodic” issue, and, of course he is antagonized that his daughter wears tampon…