May 24, 2023
FILM: EASY TIGER
DIRECTED BY: KAREL TUYTSCHAEVER
STARRING: NATHALIE HASPENSLAGH, KAREL TUYTSCHAEVER, MELINDA VAN BERLO
RATING: 3 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
Easy Tiger is a film from Belgium and Netherlands which in an hour’s time manages to pack in a wallop of concerns and images as it explores a therapist’s involvement with one of his patients. The film uses French, English, and Sign Language to communicate its narrative – often moving between them at a perplexing rate.
When the film begins, we see a man stroking his penis and smoking. He has chiseled features and a tasteful hoop earring. He’s in an empty garage which he drives through to an unknown destination. These early images, which are often captured with long extended takes, don’t reveal a lot about where the film is going or what the circumstances are. Yet, they set the tone and mood of the story which is primarily centered on the man as he contemplates a number of personal issues. There is, for instance, a health concern that is only hinted at during a hard to watch medical scene but becomes more pronounced later in the film. The larger issue though seems to be his separate relationships with a woman and a man. The latter is an attractive deaf patient with whom he develops a sexual intimacy.
At first it’s not clear what the overall situation is. The deaf man looks like another man he sees at a museum. Are they the same? Is one surfacing much later chronologically? How much time is passing? Is the therapist also deaf? Suffice to say most of this is clarified in the film’s short one hour running time. The details do slowly unravel though making for an unpredictable ride.
The varying languages are intriguingly presented, sometimes with characters in a visual space sometimes not. Sub-titles are present to provide narrative details but the source of some of the dialogue and its recipients takes some getting used to.
Still, this is a visually and aurally interesting film experience. Its artful approach makes the story of a man torn between two worlds quite original. Yes, there are a lot of contemplative moments (staring at a statue or into the nearby landscape) but the length of the film never makes these shots and scenes feel tired. Rather they reveal a man at more than one crossroad in his life.
Easy Tiger is not a film for everyone but it does add to the growing numbers of films featuring deaf characters (thanks in part to the Oscar-winning CODA.) Be patient and open-minded though!
Easy Tiger will be screening virtually via the Pride Film Fest from May 24 until June 2. Go to https://www.goelevent.com/OpenSpaceArts/e/UEASYTIGERMay24toJune4 for tickets.
FILM: EASY TIGER
DIRECTED BY: KAREL TUYTSCHAEVER
STARRING: NATHALIE HASPENSLAGH, KAREL TUYTSCHAEVER, MELINDA VAN BERLO
RATING: 3 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
Easy Tiger is a film from Belgium and Netherlands which in an hour’s time manages to pack in a wallop of concerns and images as it explores a therapist’s involvement with one of his patients. The film uses French, English, and Sign Language to communicate its narrative – often moving between them at a perplexing rate.
When the film begins, we see a man stroking his penis and smoking. He has chiseled features and a tasteful hoop earring. He’s in an empty garage which he drives through to an unknown destination. These early images, which are often captured with long extended takes, don’t reveal a lot about where the film is going or what the circumstances are. Yet, they set the tone and mood of the story which is primarily centered on the man as he contemplates a number of personal issues. There is, for instance, a health concern that is only hinted at during a hard to watch medical scene but becomes more pronounced later in the film. The larger issue though seems to be his separate relationships with a woman and a man. The latter is an attractive deaf patient with whom he develops a sexual intimacy.
At first it’s not clear what the overall situation is. The deaf man looks like another man he sees at a museum. Are they the same? Is one surfacing much later chronologically? How much time is passing? Is the therapist also deaf? Suffice to say most of this is clarified in the film’s short one hour running time. The details do slowly unravel though making for an unpredictable ride.
The varying languages are intriguingly presented, sometimes with characters in a visual space sometimes not. Sub-titles are present to provide narrative details but the source of some of the dialogue and its recipients takes some getting used to.
Still, this is a visually and aurally interesting film experience. Its artful approach makes the story of a man torn between two worlds quite original. Yes, there are a lot of contemplative moments (staring at a statue or into the nearby landscape) but the length of the film never makes these shots and scenes feel tired. Rather they reveal a man at more than one crossroad in his life.
Easy Tiger is not a film for everyone but it does add to the growing numbers of films featuring deaf characters (thanks in part to the Oscar-winning CODA.) Be patient and open-minded though!
Easy Tiger will be screening virtually via the Pride Film Fest from May 24 until June 2. Go to https://www.goelevent.com/OpenSpaceArts/e/UEASYTIGERMay24toJune4 for tickets.