tlavideo.com

Review

Dive into the life of the jaded, famous and alcoholic filmmaker Noah Arkwright, self-professed as "a man who had never suffered any pain except that which he had brought upon himself." Written, directed, produced by and starring Peter Howitt, Dangerous Parking charts Arkwright's descent into the grips of alcoholism and his ensuing escape. The movie is a jarring visual experience that outlines the world of a successful artist, while bluntly exposing his vices. Temporal fragmentation and visual asides simultaneously propel the narrative and infuse Noah's character with depth, individuality, and pathos. After a particularly embarrassing morning results from a night of hard drinking, Arkwright resolves to clean himself up as best as he can. Noah's detox (shot partially in a dizzying cinematic blur, á la Trainspotting) generates the film's most honest glimpse into his past. Life on the straight and narrow transforms his outlook and along with it, the film's visual landscape flattens out as well. Fractured narrative gives way to frank storytelling, and the film's eccentric levity evolves into dramatic gravity. This harrowing account of a man taking on his addiction is both an audacious stylistic exercise and a powerful narrative achievement.

 -- Stephen Imperato