The Ordinaries

In a cinematic wasteland overwhelmed with sequels, prequels, re-boots and remakes, original and inventive films are hard to come by. Just when you think every idea has been milked to the nines, a new filmmaker swoops in and breathes new life into a stale industry. First time German writer-director Sophie Linnenbaum has stormed in with her new meta-fiction sci-fi comedy, The Ordinaries.

Following young teen Paula (Fine Sendel), The Ordinaries is set within a strict three tier society where the lower class are labelled Outtakes; the middle class Supporting Characters; and the upper class Main Characters. Paula is a Supporting Character but a Main Character in training, hoping to follow in the footsteps of her late Main Character father. When she attempts to find her father’s life in the ‘archives’ to learn more of what is required to move on up in the story, she finds nothing – raising suspicions that much has been kept from her by her guarded mother Elisa (Jule Böwe). Guided by a Miscast, a middle-aged man cast as a cross-dressing housemaid named Hilde (Henning Peker), Paula embarks on a journey of finding herself, and uncovers hidden secrets about her family and her place in society as a whole.

The universe Linnenbaum has created is oozing in originality and inventiveness. Every form of character lives by the standard rules of modern day screenwriting, however they are uniquely aware of this fact (this is where the meta really comes in). Their reality is built like a film set sans an actual film crew and cameras, and all they want to do is deliver. Main Characters in training have devices hooked to their chests that pick up their emotions and echo film scores to evoke their feelings. Main Characters are designed with good looks, Golden Era wardrobes, musical numbers and exciting rom-com story lines. Supporting Characters, cloaked in bland colours and basic haircuts, only move in the background and will be lucky to nab a one-liner or two. Outtakes are ostracised the most, pigmented black and white to become easy targets, and with some even censored with pixelated patches over their mouth if they cross a line. There are also sub-characters such as Miscasts, Cameos and Cuts (characters that are literally cut mid-sentence, with everything in between lost forever. This was a personal favourite of mine).

On the surface, The Ordinaries is hilariously inventive and laugh out loud funny. A single line of dialogue about subtitles in its final scenes had me cackling, and little nuances such as Lassie emerging as a Cameo are delightful. However on a deeper level, this film explores much much more than just a quirky coming-of-age family drama with a twist. It shines a light of many issues that are relevant to us; societal oppression, classism, segregation, racism and the constant battle between the left and right wing movements.

While there are some tonal issues throughout the film and some messages feel a bit overbearing at times, The Ordinaries is kept alive with its humour, its design and its originality. If it’s a comedy you’re after, this is highly recommended. Just expect a few darker twists and turns along the way.

The Ordinaries opens July 6 at Cinema Nova.