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GODS OF LOS ANGELES
Produced by Mariana McConnell, David Ashe, and Garrett Gilchrist
Directed, Written, and Edited by Garrett Gilchrist
Directors of Photography - Jason Gutierrez and Garrett GilchristLily - Cori Haisler
Clifford - David Maddox
Bruce - David Ashe
Rhonda - Katherine Carpenter
Jules - Mariana McConnellGarrett Gilchrist's drama GODS OF LOS ANGELES was once described to me as "an endurance test." Running 2 1/2 hours, a less backhanded description would be "Paul Thomas Anderson goes to college." How can any movie be an endurance test when it's both emotionally and intellectually engaging and leaves the viewer with the complete satisfaction that only a fully developed story and uniquely three-dimensional characters can deliver?
The comparison to P.T. Anderson isn't that far off. As GOLA unfolded, I was reminded of Anderson's MAGNOLIA. Both movies contain a similar vibe where the capricious nature of life is overshadowed by a supernatural omnipresence searching for balance and attempting to bestow comfort and peace of mind to those we follow in the story. Both movies meander through the lives of their characters driving home the mundaity of their daily existence as well as each character's set of personal problems and emotional issues. The complexity of the characters is illustrated by how they deal with those own issues.
Lily has been declared emotionally unstable and she longs to get out from under her protective father's thumb. Never having been out on her own, she's able to see the beauty and magic in every thing as most things are new to her. She possesses a wide eyed innocence that can only be described as angelic. As Lily, Gilchrist has cast Cori Haisler, an actress who has appeared in some of his other films, and I remember being taken with her beauty in the past. Not only does she bring her considerable looks to the table, as an actress she has an earthiness and naturalism that keeps the character's feet on the ground while it's clear that her head is in the clouds.
Clifford is another animal altogether. Where Lily is forever the optimist, he possesses a far more cynical outlook. Plagued by his own insecurity, he waves a flag of caustic self-deprecating humor to ward off those that would like to get close to this otherwise true blue friend. He's been hurt one too many times and fears the pain that others simply see as a necessary part of life.
Bruce and Rhonda are two sides of the same coin. A relatively new couple, the star-crossed lovers can't help but find strife when their respective insecurities come to the surface of their relationship. Rhonda has been alone for so long that she's blind to her own beauty. Her insecurity leads directly to her state of jealousy. Bruce believes he's lucked out and found a girl above his league. He believes that if he can't reinforce Rhonda's self-esteem, he'll loose her. What neither realizes is that it's those insecurities that are pushing them apart.
These four come together at college, and in their short time together they change each other's lives. A generically cliched description, I know, but if I were to give you a play by play then you'd be reading for hours. Remember, this is a 2 1/2 hour long micro-cinema talking head piece. Lives do change. People grow up. People die. It seems like 90% of most post-film school independents follow this pattern. It's my own film school experience that this sort of formula is beaten into the students until they learn how to develop "real" characters.
That other great film school cliché comes to mind, "it's about the choices people make." That trite, whiny cliché has been bandied about by so many young filmmakers that I pray every night to the higher deity known only as Cassavetes to please remove the words from out of daily lexicon. But in Garrett's case, that's what he's made, a picture about the choices flawed people make as they try to please those they care for. In GODS OF LOS ANGELES, Lily is the catalyst for every choice. Both directly and indirectly, she affects those around her in a way they don't always like. How they choose to deal with her is their choice in life. Consider Bruce, if he weren't such a self-defeatist, he could have a relationship with Lily. She sees the good in him. Bruce, being pushed away by his suffocating girlfriend, sees Lily as a chance to break free from his possessive girlfriend. Rhonda views Lily as her friendship with Bruce as an invasion of territory. What both don't realize is that Lily simply wants to be friends with every one.
I have to admit, it's easy to see why people would either fall or feel threatened by Lily. The actress portraying her, Cori Haisler, brings the right balance of naiveté and wide-eyed wonder to the role. Completely happy with her new life, she's always smiling that kind of infectious smile that draws people in hoping that they'll find some happiness to bring into their otherwise hum-drum life. It's that possibility for happiness that also creates jealousy in other women who see only the threat of their territory being invaded. What nobody realizes, except for Lily, is that no one owns another person. People aren't possessions, and that's what she needs to teach them.
I've been told that an early edit of GODS OF LOS ANGELES ran three hours. Watching this shorter version you can see where scenes can be trimmed. I can understand why Gilchrist is having a problem trimming his movie, he's in love with the dialog. That's understandable, and he should be proud of his work. Each character possesses their own distinct voice, they are three dimensional archetypes that we all have met at some point in our lives. For me, it was easy to connect long absent friends to those in GOLA. Lily, Bruce, Rhonda, they all ring true. When you love someone you never want to cut him or her out of your life. Gilchrist, loves his characters, he loves his friends. A critic or reviewer can't tell a director how to make a movie, or what to cut, only what works for them as an audience. The length didn't bother me as much as it seems to have bothered other reviewers. There's an old screenwriting rule that says every scene must bring either new character or plot details to the story. GOLA is all character, which is how I like my movies.