SLIFF 2009 Review: BEESWAX

One of the first things that must be noticed about BEESWAX is that the film is filled with color, and match of that color is pink. The film fits fairly well into the mumblecore genre, melding comedy and drama with a minimally stylized, straight-forward handheld visual approach. BEESWAX was written and directed by Andrew Bujalski (FUNNY HA HA, MUTUAL APPRECIATION) and stars the real-life twin sisters Tilly and Maggie Hatcher.

BEESWAX was shot in Austin, Texas and follows a pair of identical twin sisters, Jeannie and Lauren, as they each deal with their own places in life. Lauren (Maggie Hatcher) is considering a teaching position out of the country, while Jeannie (Tilly Hatcher), who has been a paraplegic since birth, attempts to sort out her unequal relationship with her business partner. Jeannie co-owns and runs a small retail shop called the Storyville Boutique.

The movie flows along at a comfortable pace with performances that are fitting for the slice-of-life sort of story. Watching the two sisters’ lives unfold, cutting between the two, but also intermingling in each others’ stories is engaging. The draw comes from a sheer curiosity in watching the human drama unfold. While there are some moments of relatively dry and awkward humor, BEESWAX is more of melancholy dramedy than strictly a comedy.

Lauren’s story appears on the surface to be more reflective and intra-personal, weighing the pros and cons in her current opportunities. Jeannie’s story appears to be more external, coping with a heavy workload, one which she feels has been unfairly placed primarily on her shoulders by her partner and attempting to manage a new employee with workplace conflicts. Lauren is a bit of a reluctant optimist while Jeannie struggles to remain optimistic about her situation.

BEESWAX has sort of a CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM feel, with less neurosis and targeted at a slightly younger audience. Nothing seems to go right, characters seem inherently indecisive, especially Lauren, and there is a sense of pending social doom that lingers just over the heads of these characters in a semi-fictional Austin, Texas. Jeannie and Lauren both have pressure squeezing down on them and the Hatcher sisters capture these emotions well, especially in the second half when the story intensifies.

Jeannie’s part-time boyfriend Merril (Alex Karpovsky) studies for his BAR exam and juggles this with serving as Jeannie’s pro bono legal advisor in deciphering what to do with her business. As the rift between Jeannie and her partner deepens, Merrill serves as a source of stability in her life. The heart of what makes BEESWAX enjoyable is in finding out how the story plays out, how it all ends… but, does it? Some may find this portion of the film disappointing, but I applaud the audacity.

BEESWAX is a solid film and Bujalski’s third feature, making him a writer/director to keep an eye on as his filmography expands. The only element in the film’s performances that pulled me out of the story, and please pardon my lack of expertise here, is that Tilly Hatcher tends to show movement in her feet and legs, of which I was unclear whether this was intended or even possible for a paraplegic. Aside from this, BEESWAX is less than extraordinary but far above average.

BEESWAX will screen at Webster University on Friday, November 13th at 7:00pm during the 18th Annual Whitaker Saint Louis International Film Festival.