The Movie
Could you watch a movie about someone you can't stand? I know I've done it (Napoleon Dynamite comes to mind), but what about a documentary about someone you can't stand. When you shut off your DVD, his life goes on. Do you really want to be a part of that ongoing saga of annoyance? That's the kind of question you have to ask yourself in approaching This is Not a Film.

Though in concept, the movie is about a girl named Grace, it's actually about the guy who loses her: Michael Connor. After trying to tape a message to Grace, an Irish girl who bolted from New York instead of seeing Michael, the guy gets his filmmaker friends to make a movie that explains his story, in the hopes of getting someone who knows her to call him. Logic has rarely been so twisted, but love tends to blind people.

One of those filmmaker friends is Nadia, a very attractive actress who portrays Grace in the film, as well as Patty, a Jersey girl who has booty calls with Michael. Considering what a jerk Michael can be, it's not hard for Nadia to maintain her emotional distance from Michael, despite playing two of his lovers. But she also slanders him often, pointing out his many flaws as part of her discovering her character.

It's quickly obvious why Grace scrammed, but as the movie progresses, it begins to feel like something is happening between Nadia and Michael. That apparently burgeoning relationship is wedged between odd subplots like Michael's brother George and his odd "laughing circle," his job as a shoe salesman (and his accompanying interests) or an idiot-savant crossword-puzzle master named..."The Puzzler," who gives sage advice to Michael. Sticking with just the relationship and making this a short film would have given the story much more power.

What really works is the acting, which surprisingly is done from scripts, and not improvised, as many would expect after seeing how successful the technique is in Christopher Guest's film. The revelation of the film is Nadia Dajani, an adorable woman who gives warmth and reality to the character of Grace and bombast and silliness to the slutty Patty. Each of her three characters, including the "true" Nadia, stands apart from the others, with wigs or not. Sure, they are broad roles, but she handles them well.

In the end, the situations and characters are way too "cute" for a film pretending to be real. Sure you could believe a guy might make a movie to find a girl he loved, but the lengths to which Nadia is willing to go, despite not getting paid, break pretty much every rule of disbelief, which destroys the mockumentary concept. The creators might have a good romantic comedy in them, as their deft handling of Grace, Nadia and Michael proved.

The DVD
Packed in a standard keepcase, This is Not a Film is a one-disc release, featuring an animated full-frame main menu with options to watch the film, adjust the audio options, select scenes and view the movie's trailer. The language choices include English 2.0 and 5.1 tracks, but there are no subtitles or closed captioning. The scene-selection menu has animated previews and titles for each chapter.

The Quality
The full-frame video has the look of very clean television, with good color and an acceptable level of detail. Darker scenes tend to suffer from video noise, but when the lighting is right, the film can look rather sharp. Though the movie captures the feel of a low-budget video project, it's free of any obvious digital problems.

The audio is available in both Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0, but it was tough to discern a difference in a film that's nearly all dialogue. In fact, trying to pick out a moment that even stood out in the audio mix is difficult, but then, it is a mockumentary, and should sound like one.

The Extras
Aside from the film's trailer, the only extra is a feature-length audio commentary with Michael and George Connors, two of the lead characters. Yes, in an effort to continue the idea that the film is real, instead of a commentary with the filmmakers, the characters talk about the movie and the search for Grace. Like most novelty commentary tracks, it's cute at first, but wears thin quickly. If only there was a way for a second commentary track to be included...

On the hunt...
There's a pretty hefty easter egg on this DVD, and it's not too hard to find, so flip around the menus to find it, or check out DVDTalk's Easter Egg section.

The Bottom Line
Like The Blair Witch Project, This is Not a Movie does a good job of walking the fake line between film and documentary, thanks to a tight script and some very good acting, particularly from Dajani. The film transcended its limitations, though in the end, things didn't come together the way you'd hope after investing your time. The DVD gives the film a solid presentation, with a few interesting extras, but it doesn't really raise the movie's game the way good DVDs do. Fans of independent movies and mockumentaries should give this film a look, as it's a good example of how far a good concept can go with the help of talent. For that alone, it's an admirable effort.

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*The Reviewer's Bias section is an attempt to help readers use the review to its best effect. By knowing where the reviewer's biases lie on the film's subject matter, one can read the review with the right mindset.