Strong acting and a cool setting elevate this surreal tale of artistic compulsion.
“Poser,” the shivery first feature from Ori Segev and Noah Dixon, is a drifting psychodrama whose menace builds with excruciating slowness. The dazed and dreamy mood, however, is established immediately in the pale face of Lennon (Sylvie Mix), an aspiring podcaster whose seemingly innocent ambition evolves into a much darker obsession.
Lennon’s blank affect and almost total lack of back story make her more than a little creepy and an untrustworthy title character. As she infiltrates the underground music scene in Columbus, Ohio, recording bands and random conversations, her physical stillness and intense vibe grow increasingly unsettling. When not insinuating herself into the artists’ social circles, she works as a dishwasher for a catering outfit; at home, she painstakingly labels and files her audiotapes. It takes a while to notice that she hasn’t produced a single podcast.
Unfolding in gloomy clubs and freewheeling performance spaces, “Poser” draws vibrancy from Logan Floyd’s atmospheric photography and the quirky participation of real-life musicians. (I especially enjoyed the singer who described her band’s music as “queer death pop.”) When Lennon announces her own musical ambitions and befriends the charismatic performer Bobbi Kitten (playing a version of herself), the movie’s somewhat flaccid plot gets a much-needed shot in the arm. Set against Lennon’s chilly passivity, Kitten’s dazzle is a delight.
At once polished and punky, “Poser” is about the maturing of a vampiric personality. Like its music, the movie feels exploratory and raw-edged, yet with a persistent pathos that clings to Lennon and isolates her. Her destination might be predictable, but her detours are rarely less than beguiling.
Poser
Not rated. Running time: 1 hour 27 minutes. In theaters.
Source: Movies - nytimes.com
