Is "Zola" the first movie ever adapted from a Twitter feed? Quite possibly.
Is that why the movie feels so inconclusive, and why I have so many questions about the story it tells that were never answered? Probably. "Zola" feels like the middle of a story, with the beginning and ending left out. I found myself pretty wildly entertained by it, but scratching my head afterwards. I really don't understand how this story played out over Twitter, and I'm dying to know what if any fallout there was for the characters after the events portrayed in the film. How much of it is fictionalized? Does the main character continue to live in fear of the murderer and pimp because of what she knows about him? Did that part of the story really happen, or was it made up for the film? Just. So. Many. Questions.
But what the film lacks in narrative clarity or even sense it makes up for in energy and terrific performances. This is a movie about sleazy, trashy people acting obnoxious for 90 minutes, and your tolerance for the movie will depend on your tolerance for hanging out with people like this. I have none, so I'm as surprised as anyone by the fact that I not only tolerated but liked this movie. I credit the actors for that, who know exactly how to deliver the snarky, satirical material for maximum impact. The movie is like one big long meme if a meme could be set in motion.
"Zola" dissolved into the ether for me the second it was over, but it provided a little bit of fun, mostly mindless entertainment before doing so. It was certainly way more fun than the experience of actually reading a Twitter feed.
Grade: B+
Is that why the movie feels so inconclusive, and why I have so many questions about the story it tells that were never answered? Probably. "Zola" feels like the middle of a story, with the beginning and ending left out. I found myself pretty wildly entertained by it, but scratching my head afterwards. I really don't understand how this story played out over Twitter, and I'm dying to know what if any fallout there was for the characters after the events portrayed in the film. How much of it is fictionalized? Does the main character continue to live in fear of the murderer and pimp because of what she knows about him? Did that part of the story really happen, or was it made up for the film? Just. So. Many. Questions.
But what the film lacks in narrative clarity or even sense it makes up for in energy and terrific performances. This is a movie about sleazy, trashy people acting obnoxious for 90 minutes, and your tolerance for the movie will depend on your tolerance for hanging out with people like this. I have none, so I'm as surprised as anyone by the fact that I not only tolerated but liked this movie. I credit the actors for that, who know exactly how to deliver the snarky, satirical material for maximum impact. The movie is like one big long meme if a meme could be set in motion.
"Zola" dissolved into the ether for me the second it was over, but it provided a little bit of fun, mostly mindless entertainment before doing so. It was certainly way more fun than the experience of actually reading a Twitter feed.
Grade: B+