Mikes Film Talk

Exteriors is a film about lies and boundaries. It is set around the vagaries of tinsel town and this “fly on the wall” film offers three tales of deception. Not all of these are negative, however. While the setup for each tale of relationships vary, they all end up being about those lies and boundaries.

Mark Schwab serves as author and director of this film. It is an intimate film with an equally intimate cast:

love and other strangers

Each vignette looks closely at the issues of trust, unrequited love, and all encompassing obsession. Lies and boundaries connect each of the three tales on offer. While not all of these themes run equally through each relationship, they do connect each story, however slight this may be.

Schwab has explained that Exteriors is a “semi-sequel” to a previous film. This may have something to do with the very nature of film itself. All of the characters feel somewhat stereotypical or, at the very least, two dimensional. That may be down to the lack of activity of the characters in each section. Although the last tale does offer more in terms of activities it is still based around a conversation heavy narrative.

The first tale drags on too long. It has to be said though that bonus points go to each actor delivering very natural performances. This makes for a real fly-on-the-wall experience. It is both uncomfortable and intrusive. We, as strangers looking at this pair, feel almost embarrassed by this intimacy. As an audience we feel that boundaries have been broken here.

We feel this close contact with each segment mainly because of the tight cinematography. Steven Murr gives us an “up close and personal” look at each slightly tortured relationship, or near relationship.

talking and more talking

The confined setting of each story puts us, the viewer, almost in the pocket of each character. While this is, we think, the purpose of this intimacy, the fact that Exteriors so dialogue heavy with little to no action, hurts the film.

Clearly this is meant to be an intellectual exercise in how each protagonist approaches a new, or not so new, relationship. The film looks at how each player lies and pushes against set boundaries.

It has to be said, however, that in terms of pushing boundaries, the Dr. Lesh segment wins hands down. The good doctor lies, not only to himself, but to a colleague. Obsession rules his life to the extent that he places his career at risk to surreptitiously pursue the object of his desire.

The only real problem with this film is that it is too conversational. Each of these intimate glimpses of life involve talking and more talking. This is the only real problem with Exteriors.

In conclusion

This was an interesting look at a sort of modern tale love and other strangers without any comedy or action. It is all about the drama. Three sets of strangers all offer a different take on their personal boundaries and how much they are willing to cross them.

This is an “adults only” AKA mature film. There is no violence and not the slightest bit of nudity. It does, however, include graphic descriptions of sexual acts and some scenes that hint at self gratification.

This is a wavering 3 star film. The unsteady ranking is really down to the fact that this a close look at three stories that are all dialogue intensive. However interesting it is to see people lie not only to themselves but to others, it needed, at the very least, a dollop of action.