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‘By Design’ Review: Juliette Lewis Becomes a Chair in a Bold if Baggy Body-Swap Sundance Movie
Like the sand-trapped woman in Samuel Beckett's 'Happy Days,' the protagonist of Amanda Kramer’s absurdist dramedy spends the film stuck in place.
Outlandish and absurd in equal measure, Kramer’s Sundance dramedy is so obviously operating on its own quirky wavelength that when it eventually runs out of steam, you’re left wishing the “Please Baby Please” filmmaker could’ve pulled off this high-wire act. But rather than raise alarm, her listless demeanor ends up dredging up difficult conversations with her mother (Betty Buckley), her friends (Samantha Mathis and Robin Tunney) and later still with a creepy, stalking neighbor (Clifton Collins Jr.). Her casual tone throughout is what puts you at ease even when what you’re watching feels distractingly absurd (like modern dance interludes choreographed by Sigrid Lauren, set to the darkly whimsical score by Giulio Carmassi and Bryan Scary).
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