Ellie Parker (2005)

Nice effects though.

Must See Movie...

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

The movie has a depressing overtone as the main character "Ellie Parker", struggles to find her identity after plodding through various auditions. While the film quality isn't great, Ellie still manages to persuade the audience to feel for her struggles while she shuttles between auditions and the people who try to take advantage of her. It is perhaps one of the least glamorous roles that I have seen Naomi Watts play, but she still acts with the same conviction although sometimes it seems a little annoying and over-the-top. While some parts of the movie seem overly dramatic and a little unbelievable, it still reflects the versatility the actors need to have (such as mastering different accents and being prepared to switch roles quickly) and the little support that they receive during auditions, especially among seemingly disinterested producers.

Here's the spoiler so we get it out of the way. The point of the movie - and this is like so totally amazing when it hits you - is that when you're an actor and you're auditioning a lot you sometimes "don't know who you are anymore". No really. That had never occurred to me. I bet it has never occurred to anyone else before either.So if you like Naomi Watts and you wanted to see her in a vanity piece about how soul-suckingly painful "Hollywood" is. And, you know, that incredible revelation above. This is your movie.Maybe you always wanted to see Naomi Watts talk on Oprah about how enervating Hollywood is. Or perhaps you wanted to see Naomi Watts play Rosanna Arquette - all those quirky ditzy quirky mannerisms that are a mask for the quirky girl underneath. Or you wanted to see Rosanna Arquette play Naomi Watts.Or, hey, maybe you just wanted to see someone winge about how hard acting is when you are so good but the producers and your boyfriend and your agent are all jerks. And at times "you don't know who you are anymore."If any of that speaks to you, this is your movie.If you wanted humor, insight into Hollywood, acting, a decent script, a real (vs fake) cinema verity feel; or if you just don't like to see Naomi Watts be Naomi Watts for the 20th time; then you won't like this.

"Ellie Parker" is a deranged, but yet, intuitive film on the struggling Hollywood actresses lifestyle of casting calls, nocturnal partying, and internal conflicts. Naomi Watts was a tour-de-force as the Parker protagonist. Her effusive expressions were a thing of beauty. Watts' acting voltage remains hot in Tinsletown. Too bad the same cannot be said for the Ellie Parker character she plays. Ellie goes from auditioning for a part in a Southern period piece soap opera to going through the opposite the end of the Hollywood spectrum just a few hours later by auditioning for a part in a soft-porn cheap flick. Director Scott Coffey shot the film in video which gave it a reality take. Mr. Coffey woke us up with his tasty-sugary crafty techniques but was a bit "sweet & low" with his cyclical screenplay. Chevy Chase also drives the film with a scene-stealer performance as Parker's eccentric agent, Dennis Swatzbaum. My primary "Ellie Parker" peeve of the film was the arrogant character Sam, played by Rebecca Rigg! The movie got definitely rigged with her suffocating performance. "Ellie Parker" would be an effective prototype study for aspiring female actresses, but will not probably satisfy the general movie audience. Nonetheless, that Parker Sister, Naomi Watts, is the super savior of "Ellie Parker". *** Average

As much as I like Naomi, I found extremely hard to follow this movie. It seemed to be filmed with a video camera you buy from your favorite electronics store and it followed Naomi's character relentlessly, with jerky movements, from all her endeavors to become an actress to more private moments such as being in the bathroom. I am not too sure if the director tried to give the movie an air of reality show, but the camera didn't give any space and the screen seemed to be suffocating. This movie looks like a movie made by a kid who just got his camera as a birthday present, takes the camera, strolls in the city and films anything that moves with the pretentious claim that it is worth. Well, after half an hour I couldn't stand it anymore. So, save your money...