FINGERS
Written and directed by Juan Ortiz
Office manager Amanda goes on a perverse road to recovery of her hang-ups about other people’s body imperfections when one of her team, Walter, arrives in work with his pinky missing. Naturally, it freaks her out, but when he comes in the next day, seemingly accepting of his other pinky being lopped off, she’s more curious than appalled. Sabina Friedman-Seitz’s portrayal of Amanda’s irrational fear is A1. Her search for answers sees her wander into the middle of a botched, off-kilter revenge narrative that’s none of her business. It’s darkly comedic and given director Juan Ortiz gave the role of Fox to GREASY STRANGLER’S Michael St Michaels, this casting decision Is akin to holding a mirror up to what kind of film you should expect FINGERS to be.
Normal logic be damned, this film is about clinging to just enough of what we understand to be the real world while the filmmaker maintains the confidence and ambition to want to challenge the viewer with flights of fancy and absurdity. If the pulp worlds of Elmore Leonard and the head scratch of INHERENT VICE’s whodunit arc collided it’d be FINGERS. Nothing makes absolute sense, but the result of holding onto the tail of this whacked out story until the very end is rewarded in a suitably understated, left of centre finale.
