Review of No Filter

No Filter (2016)
7/10
A funny movie that's easy to misrepresent
19 August 2016
I'm writing this because I liked it. What I saw tho' is not really reflected in the "Storyline" nor the "review" that I just read. So, to begin, this woman is deep in the contemporary world of today. She's always under stress: at home, driving in the city, using her phone, working at her job, and she tries to cope with how one's life can be so remote and isolating today; especially if you don't stand up for yourself. I liked the lead actresses persona and her subtle use of her face to express her frustrations. All those affronts to her right to be treated fairly are shown as little sketches - almost SNL-style, but linked together by the story line. I was surprised to see my own critical view of today's world : from people who have little sense of human connection to impersonal things like trying to connect via cell phone to a business with a cheerful and maddening automated operator, asking for your pin# and giving you a huge list of categories for directing your call. Throughout these "skits", I was constantly watching the actress, Paz's, face. It was the expressive face of her likable character, with a good sense of absurdities, but who wanted to behave honorably and not make waves. And, No, the "Storyline" was wrong- she didn't try everything to remedy her pain; and no, she didn't decide to undergo acupuncture. On impulse she went to a highly questionable "expert" who did stick her with pins-before she could say "no"-, and he also told her she had to speak up and let out all the feelings she was holding inside. She leaves his office having little confidence in or understanding of what he'd done to her, but she does start venting, much to her surprise, and horror and satisfaction. Paz's depiction of this venting is funny, but at the same time, credible, also gratifying (for me) and ultimately kind of nasty! My ignorance of Spanish enabled me to savor her forever expressive face, her screaming, and the physical expressions of her outrage, almost like it was a fine performance in a silent film. I was watching and listening to her rage, or her private puzzlement without really hearing what she was saying, and I liked it. My suggestion is, if you are someone who might enjoy seeing a film who's main character picks you up and lets you ride along with her through today's world of trivial priorities and inefficient tasks while dealing with people who are totally blind to the messes they're making; then I'd say this film is a good one for you (and me). My main criticism is that in a late scene, she is explaining things to another character and she says, "people don't change"... and I think SHE has changed. So that line is odd. The person she'd said that to could have helped the script by just responding, "YOU have!"
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