FRIED BARRY
Prolonged silent stare — Barry
Barry is a drug dealer, reprobate, and not a very nice guy who lives in Cape Town with his wife, who’s normally very angry with him, and his child, who he barely acknowledges. One night, an alien spaceship does that whole light tractor beam thing and suddenly Barry is their test subject. When Barry returns to Earth, he has a passenger within him. The passenger takes full advantage as various Earth people tempt Barry/Alien with the many of the sensual delights of the planet. What do the aliens want? Will Barry ever come back? Does Barry’s family like him better now? That’s what you can find out if you watch FRIED BARRY.
FRIED BARRY was written and directed by Ryan Kruger, an actor who has made 32 shorts including the original version of FRIED BARRY. Newcomer Gary Green plays Barry and he’s quite a presence, from looks and height alone. Chanelle de Jager (THE WIDOW) plays Suz, Brett Williams (Outlander) plays Jono, and Joey Cramer is, well, Joey Cramer. With the exception of Barry himself, most of the characters have very little screen time. The film is mostly a series of vignettes that moves forward fast and continually. Barry is, at first, an unpleasant taciturn man and then as Barry/Alien, becomes a mostly catatonic and child-like presence that seems like a cup, waiting to have experiences poured into it. Well, maybe more like a bucket, to be honest. People get to pouring those experiences into that bucket right away as most people take his silence and acquiescence as a green light to start doing whatever it is that they want. If you don’t like what’s going on in any one of these scenes at any point during the movie, wait a few minutes and the scene will change.
The original short is described as experimental and the movie can be described that way as well. It’s not the first person viewpoint film like HARDCORE HENRY, but it is centered on Barry and his adventures. It utilizes old school techniques like the rear projection background in car scenes that you see pictured above. It’s actually quite funny and very much a film that will probably inspire some very strong reactions in viewers. It is a stream of consciousness lack of narrative that pulls you along even if you aren’t prepared for that. There is nudity, sex, drug taking (heroin and needles, specifically), and lots of violence. There is actually a loose structure and an ending. I guess you could call it a qualified happy ending of sorts. Maybe the Alien made Barry a better person? Maybe the Alien learned enough about us to recommend never communicating with humanity? Maybe this was the Alien version of a joyride in a stolen car? All of these or none of these things might be true, but it’s really not that kind of movie. You get out of it what your mind sees in it. The character of Barry as played by Gary Green is intriguing enough that I watched willingly even though I didn’t know if there was going to be a payoff. But you have to ask yourself, why do I expect a payoff from a film? That’s why there are experimental films in the first place. Experimental films play with the substance and structure of films and many times will intentionally attempt to frustrate and enrage the audience. That’s why they’re experimental, they want to see what they can achieve outside of the traditional three act structure of a film. You may not like FRIED BARRY, but I say give it a shot. Why? Why not? You might find something out about yourself and your expectations of art. It might open you up to even more experimental films. You might hate it. So what. I’m sure that some of you ate something, perhaps Brussel sprouts, that you didn’t like at one point and that made certain things clear to you. You don’t like Brussel sprouts. But how will you ever know more about film and yourself if you don’t challenge yourself and try new things? How will you find something odd or bizarre that you cherish if you don’t branch out occasionally?
How indeed? If you don’t believe me, try watching some of David Lynch’s student films. If you wouldn’t give the director of those films a shot, you would never have seen Twin Peaks.
Gareth Place (THERE ARE NO HEROES) is the cinematographer and he’s done a swell job of keeping things interesting. He’s got the colored gels (greens and reds mainly), he’s got outdoors and indoors lighting that always seems like things are perpetually overcast in Cape Town. The alien abduction sequence is mainly a story told with the camerawork and lighting, which is splendid. I never thought I’d see the head of a penis so strikingly lit, but now I can say that I have and that I am impressed. Haezer is responsible for the soundtrack and it does the job, wow, does it do the job. It’s a propulsive and thrilling score (and sound design) that keeps the story hurtling forward.
Here’s the trailer:
FRIED BARRY gets a yes vote from me. I think it’s entertaining, slyly funny, and somewhat surreal. What the film achieves with a minimum of explication and the looks on human faces is really effective. Because there really isn’t as much dialogue, especially from the lead character, you are forced to pay attention to what is going on. Barry’s face becomes more consuming as you watch. There are touches, one scene that unfolds in a mental ward, that play with the fabric of reality and our perception. If you already like experimental films, I think this movie is an easy sell. But if you don’t, I’d say that you should try it. Stretch your mind out a bit with something that doesn’t check all the easy boxes. It’s probably not what you would consider a family film, so maybe watch it after the kiddos are in bed. FRIED BARRY is now streaming on Shudder.