"Public Interest" Review - Written by Mathius Gertz

Public Interest
USA, 2008, 85min., color/black & white
Genre: Mockumentary
Director/Screenwriter: Brad Robinson
Producers: Nicole DeFalco, Michelle Orren, Brad Robinson
Cinematographer: Jeff Preston
Editors: Andrew Ortner, Brad Robinson
Music: Robert Hunt
Contact: Nicole DeFalco
nomadprod@comcast.net
Website: http://www.publicinterestmovie.com/


Public Interest is a send-up of the world’s obsession with reality television. It satirizes not only how outrageous the phenomenon has become but also spoofs how crazy and “real” it could easily get. Borrowing concepts from well crafted narratives like Network (1976) and The Truman Show (1998), first time writer/director Brad Robinson tries to craft a documentary style lampoon of an industry that is itself a lampoon of real life. The result is 85 minutes of talking head interviews with industry and show executives after the show implodes and cuts to ‘flash-back’ scenes of show participants that tried to live together for two years, with electric shock collars on, for a cut of an $8 million dollar prize.

For those who are in awe of the people that appear on these shows and expose themselves for who they really are, or want to be, in front of millions of viewers, Public Interest is amusing, maybe even funny. For the rest…well…imagine watching a one and one half hour episode of Big Brother (2000) or The Surreal Life (2007) without commercials.

The film is technically well done. The actors, both professionals and amateurs, are believable. There is nothing particularly wrong about this $55,000 effort...but. Does it cover new ground? No. Does it raise our consciousness as regards the absolute and total ridiculousness that is reality TV? Not for me. Most importantly, does it provide a showcase for the talent and creativity of this aspiring writer/director? I don’t think so.

Mockumentaries are neither fish nor fowl. If they are not over-the-top funny or outrageous, like Tina Fey doing Sarah Palin or Larry Charles directing Borat (2006), they just sort of sit there on your plate; like an under-cooked chicken breast at a Shiners’ dinner. In an article on phillyburbs.com Director Robinson hopes more feature-length directorial efforts are in his future. In an interview with Jeremy Barker on roxreview.com, Robinson said, “We can send this as a calling card, to show what we can do with very little money.” Unfortunately I don’t believe that is true. If the goal is to direct features, Robinson would have been better off making a horror film or a low budget dramatic thriller like The Killing Room (2009). All he has shown us here is his ability to conduct interviews and to direct a long form reality television show. Two stars.