“By Design” is the kind of movie that you either get or you don’t, and if you don’t…well, good luck. For the first 30 minutes, I was fully on board with the film’s quirky narration (by Melanie Griffith), fiercely offbeat premise, and barrage of uncomfortably obscure moments. With her bold, unique vision, writer / director Amanda Kramer may draw you in with her strange charm, but then things start to get just too weird.
The whole thing takes this wild left turn into a land of underground performance art that’ll either make you nod your head and think, “Ah, yes, this is brilliant,” or make you want to throw something at the screen and scream, “What in the actual hell is going on?”
This is a movie for folks who like a heavy dose of avant-garde in their independent cinema. It’s a movie for viewers who find Miranda July too mainstream.
The premise is actually quite basic. Camille (Juliette Lewis) swaps bodies with a chair, and everyone likes her better as a piece of furniture. Kramer creates a sharp commentary (with an often cheeky satirical tone) about how women are often valued solely for their usefulness or appearance. She dives deep into the idea of identity, purpose, and society’s expectations in a way that’s bizarre but thought-provoking.
As the movie goes on, though, it starts to get lost in its own weirdness. The talk about the chair escalates, and what was once quirky and interesting starts to feel a bit tiresome and abstract. It’s the kind of movie where you either vibe with it or you don’t, and I can see how it could be frustrating for anyone not on board with its specific, niche style.
Existential and unconventional, “By Design” certainly is a daring and nonconformist cinematic experiment. It’s ultimately disappointing, especially since the layers of symbolism and social commentary mostly vanishes as the film loses its way after a solid start.
By: Louisa Moore
Screen Zealots 