Bubble

A small town on the border of Ohio and West Virginia. The factories have closed, work is scarce and what remains pays little. Martha works at a doll factory; she is middle aged, lives with her father and has nothing else. Kyle is a young man at the same plant; Martha takes an interest in him and they eat lunch together. Then someone new arrives. Rose is young, has a child and is short of money. She grows close to Kyle. One morning a body is found in the town. Steven Soderbergh directs. The film dates from 2006. Its most striking feature is the cast; none of the actors are professionals and most were chosen from people living in the area. The dialogue came largely from the actors' own speech; the screenplay was prepared only as a description of situations. The film was released in cinemas, at home and on television at once; that experiment in distribution drew objections from exhibitors at the time. What the narrative is interested in is not the crime but the economic condition; the murder is not at the centre but stands as a consequence. The register is cold and the voices quiet; the acting is deliberately flat. The factory scenes were shot in a working plant and the production process is shown in detail. Who it is for: viewers who like American independent cinema and realist narratives. Who it is not for: the pace is very slow, the acting flat, and the narrative promises no suspense.