Review of Camera

Camera is a loving exercise to the magic of movie-making as the subjects are an aged man who became that way while watching a movie in a theater (based a dream Cronenberg really had), and a bunch of kids who have a 35mm camera and sound equipment and are getting ready for a shot. "They just figured it out," says the old man on how they're able to operate film equipment. It's a moment like that which puts a genuine smile on my face- Cronenberg does love cinema, and not simply for the reasons that could be taken from his most notorious work (i.e. Videodrome, Naked Lunch, Crash). The only times when one feels the old Canadian maverick kicking in is when we see the video camera moving in on the man's face (Leslie Carlson as the actor, who has a great, unique face for long, lingering hand-held close ups). This is contrasted with the straightforward, innocent shots of the kids setting up the equipment. And then that final shot, where it becomes like a moment out of the best theater, if only for a moment. It's a nifty little piece that is a good accessory to see as a Cronenberg fan- the big pyshcological dramatic points are lessened for the sake of an intro to a film festival.