The distribution network for films has changed radically, with streaming services offering viewers far more options than they have ever had before. But that also means it is even harder for a small indie film like "Gazer" to find an audience.
My friend and I saw an ad from Angelika Film Center that they were going to be screening a "horror" film called "Gazer," with the filmmakers in attendance. Being horror fans, we wanted to support it. When we got there, we were the only people in the theater. Another couple drifted in and then left before the filmmakers showed up.
I felt bad for the filmmakers, but we did get an intimate Q&A with them. I also loved the film, which really was not horror but rather a nifty neo-noir. The fact that it does not fit neatly into an easily promotable genre box also makes it hard to promote in a media landscape that wants to be able to clearly label its "products." But then, that is always a problem for films that are more art than products, and it means it's harder for them to find an audience — and for audiences to find them.
“Gazer” immediately invites us into the insular world of Frankie (Ariella Mastroianni). She is consumed in her own world, listening to a tape that tells her, “Focus. What do you see?” She may be focusing on something, but she is mostly oblivious to the outside world. So oblivious that she fails to attend to a customer at the gas station. (This is Jersey, so gas station attendants still pump gas for you!)
The filmmakers explained that Frankie has a rare condition known as mental chronometry that affects her ability to perceive time and causes sudden blackouts. To cope, Frankie creates audio cassettes to help her maintain focus.
Frankie is the gazer of the film’s title — someone who watches but prefers to be unseen. That all changes when she takes a high-paying job from a mysterious woman, and a dead body shows up with Frankie as the prime suspect.
The film plays a bit like "Memento," although director and co-writer Ryan J. Sloan pointed to Christopher Nolan's earlier "Following" and Francis Ford Coppola's "The Conversation" as more direct influences. But be prepared for an unexpected dose of body horror reminiscent of David Lynch or David Cronenberg.
"Gazer" delivers all the trappings of a classic neo-noir: a murder, a mysterious woman, a possible conspiracy and, most beguilingly, an unreliable narrator. We’re sucked into a spiraling story steeped in paranoia and uncertain if we can even trust Frankie’s version of events.
"Gazer" is a passion project from star and co-writer Mastroianni, and director and co-writer Sloan. They shot on nights and weekends at friends' homes and businesses ,and over two years, on a miniscule budget of $80,000. Despite their financial limitations, they insisted on shooting on film because that was the most authentic way to get the '70s vibe they were going for.
The result is a grungy and entirely engrossing neo-noir that takes deliciously unexpected turns. Like its protagonist, though, "Gazer’s" slight stature might mean it goes unseen, but I hope good word of mouth pulls it out of the shadows.
