Richard Bates Jr's Trash Fire is just about the most screwed up romantic comedy you will ever see a film constantly subverting the expectations you have. From the first scene, which starts with Owen (Adrian Grenier) venting to his therapist and then ends with, well, see for yourself, you know this is no When Harry Met Sally or The Ugly Truth. This is a dark, disturbing film about people who are even more dark and disturbing. Somehow, though, Bates Jr is such a talented writer-director that he gets you to root for these miserably drawn characters.
The film (which Bates Jr has stated is only somewhat autobiographical,) follows Owen and girlfriend Isabel (Angela Trimbur,) who have had a very on again-off again relationship over the years but always manage to work it out. Owen's therapist (Sally Kirkland) isn't exactly helpful at trying to get them to solve their problems and things get weird when Owen reveals why he's been so detached all these years. All I'll say is that it involves his sister (AnnaLynne McCord) and grandmother (Fionulla Flanagan.) This is the kind of film that is much better not knowing what happens next because like I said, it is constantly going in directions you would never guess.
Grenier is amazing as Owen, taking a completely unlikable prick and turning him into someone you can't take your eyes off of. In the hands of a lesser actor, Owen would have had the audience running out of the theater. With Grenier, Owen is someone worth investing in and following. Trimbur provides a good foil to Owen through Isabel. She's likable only by standing next to Owen. Isabel is not any sort of a good person but you feel bad for her because she's stuck with such a dopey, cruel boyfriend.
As the sister and grandmother, McCord and Flanagan do an excellent job at doing what they need to. They take the way their characters are written and bring even more life to them, imbuing them with a sense of purpose and meaning that couldn't have been easy to find, seeing as these characters aren't exactly written as bright sunny people, either. Kirkland also provides some brief, but well earned comic relief.
Bates Jr has already proven himself to be a one of a kind filmmaker with Excision and Suburban Gothic and proves it again here. This is an extremely stylish film but its style never sacrifices the substance. We are invested in these characters, believing who they are and wanting to see where their journeys take them. However, Bates Jr also shoots and writes the film with such flair that anyone the least bit interested in filmmaking will have a blast trying to pick out each subtle shot, shift in tone, character decision, ETC. Just like Quentin Tarantino before him, Bates Jr ends up laying out all the pieces for you by the end and it's fun to dissect how these things that you saw prior to the end were part of a bigger whole.
Trash Fire may not be for everyone and it certainly will leave even the most uneasily shocked viewer with a sense of "what did I watch" but Bates Jr has written and directed a stylish, subversive, extremely well done horror film that should appeal to those looking for something a lot different.
(4 and 1/2 out of 5 Stars, The film is Rated R for some disturbing violence/behavior, strong sexuality, nudity and language.)
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