Caitlin Plays Herself

Joe Swanberg and Caitlin Stainken in "Caitlin Plays Herself."A Swanberry production. Produced by Joe Swanberg. Directed, edited by Joe Swanberg. Script, Caitlin Stainken, Swanberg.With: Caitlin Stainken, Joe Swanberg, Frank V. Ross, Spencer Parsons, Megan Mercier, Kurt Chiang, Tim Reid, Adam Wingard.The newest in Joe Swanberg's self-reflective series about artistic indecision (after "Art History," "Silver Bullets" and "The Zone") focuses on real-existence performance artist Caitlin Stainken (who also co-written) and her intermittent relationship by getting an indie filmmaker carried out, not remarkably, by Swanberg themselves. Composed largely of fixed, extended medium shots and extended shots, "Caitlin Plays Herself" is sliced up into discrete, self-enclosed tableaux, kind of being an American "Vivre sa vie" without any passion, drama or gorgeous imagery. Decidedly understated pic, which bows 12 ,. 2 in Gotham, isn't likely to change auds' pre-existing opinions in the prolific mumblecore maven. The film opens around the naked Caitlin (Stainken) screaming soundlessly within deluge of black oil using what calculates to become performance/theater piece protesting the British oil oil spill. Cut with a naked Caitlin in the tub, involved with a quarrel with Swanberg about nudity and bad playwriting (though for just about any film that starts getting a defense of nudity, Swanberg's film is uncharacteristically genital-free). Their heated discussion opposes the performance artist's work-in-progress aesthetic while using filmmaker's wish to have a finished product. Yet Caitlin's urge toward experimentation appears to help keep sway, proven with the film's inadequate segues or continuity between moments, which feel at random sectioned off as self-contained setpieces you will never know within the desultory dialogue the amount of time elapses between segments. In their on-again, off-again relationship with Swanberg, Caitlin handles to intensify mumblecore's patented social clumsiness into something resembling open-ended theater. Aside from a couple of casual (if awkward) sexual encounters including males referred to by mumblecore helmers Frank V. Ross and Spencer Parsons, the pic features handful of people of Swanberg's usual eccentric troupe. This leaves the thesping chores to Swanberg, never most likely probably the most charming screen personality, and Stainken, whose very self-possession, even when hooked uncertain, offers handful of points of entry having less assertive personas further divorces the moments in the sense of linear narrative. Swanberg's recently found fascination with aesthetic formalism forces the humans within the plans to vie for dominance against, say, an enormous wind-tossed willow tree or possibly an abstract painting inside the dead center in the frame overall effect is always to isolate an individuals figures in limbos that goes for them making. "Caitlin" marks Swanberg's sixth feature this year (with "Uncle Kent" and "Autoerotic" joining these three). Apparently the filmmaker's reaction to creative doldrums is elevated productivity.Camera (color, HD), Adam Wingard, Swanberg music, Keith Ruggiero appear, John Bosch. Examined on DVD, NY, November. 27, 2011. Running time: 69 MIN. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com