Total direction changes are a risky storytelling device. Any writer who does this is basically asking the reader/audience to give up everything they have learned & experienced about the world of the characters they’ve followed to this point and accept that we are now going in a completely different direction. In film, it’s sometimes done in such an extreme and intentional way that color palettes, lighting, wardrobes, even sets are made anew to accentuate the change.
It’s always a dicey thing. When executed well from page to screen through performance & editing & planning –it can be enthralling! (Once you get past the initial confusion or angst of it of course.)
But if ill-delivered or worse, ill-conceived, it becomes a gimmick. A distraction from what came before. Maintaining that vision as a director is undoubtedly what holds it all together.
Some of my favorite films with awesome redirects are Robert Rodriguez’s classic From Dusk Till Dawn, Tarantino’s ground-breaking Pulp Fiction & Derek Cianfrance’s acclaimed The Place Beyond the Pines. (Which takes the whole concept to another level by establishing a completely new antagonist-protagonist relationship in the second half.)
I recently took in Sorry To Bother You. Written & directed by musician turned first-time filmmaker Boots Riley. It’s a wildly entertaining film that takes you on a roller-coaster through themes, philosophies & energy. While it challenges many of these elements identified above, what really stood out for me was how this story transitioned from a social satire into a dark interpretation of what our world could be. And may yet be. The job of a director is to get across a message –one key idea, if nothing else. The more you can do that in an entertaining, thought-provoking & nuanced way (though sometimes direct is best), the more influential and memorable a film will be.
This film does all that pretty well. & a stacked cast including Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Armie Hammer & Stephen Yeun with appearances by Danny Glover & Terry Crews doesn’t hurt either. Check it out –if it’s not a Bother, of course.
Looking forward to seeing what Mr. Riley has up his sleeve in the future!