Bubble

Directed by: Steven Soderbergh

Written by: Coleman Hough

To start: we were inspired to watch this movie after seeing it as one of Roger Ebert's "Netflix Instant Pick-of-the-Day" selections.

Life in small-town Ohio is pretty dull, and Kyle spends most of his time making body parts at a doll factory. That is, until the mysterious Rose shows up. Kyle and Rose begin a romantic relationship (which includes Rose stealing some cash from an unknowing Kyle), much to the chagrin of Debbie, one of Kyle's older co-workers. When Rose ends up dead, the suspect list is quickly narrowed down to Debbie, who denies it to the very end.

This is a small movie for Soderbergh. Its topic is small. The setting is small. The dialogue is minimal. Even the length of the film is under-average. But the scope of the movie doesn't detract from Soderberg's ability to create a powerful, vibrant film.

The visuals in this film, especially the footage at the doll factory, are stunning and brutal yet beautiful. The camera feels distant from the action, even during close-ups, which almost gives the effect of a scientific examination rather than a fictional drama. The murder feels both absurd and realistic at the same time. All of this adds up to a sense that this movie retains its fictional angle while also showing merely a slightly distorted image of a reality that could be.

It's hard to say I enjoyed this movie, given its bleak perspective, but it's definitely a movie worth seeing.