Hayden Kane
There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes
Logan
By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.
Dana
An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.
sol-
Desperate to find her younger brother who went missing when in her care, a socially awkward teenager recalls her dysfunctional home life, bullying at school and other events that led to the disappearance in this strange film from Bruce MacDonald, who would later go on to helm the remarkable 'Pontypool'. The first thing one is likely to notice about 'The Tracey Fragments' is the ambitious editing design with almost every single scene played out in multiple split screens, with some shots broken into over a dozen pieces, all depicting the same event from various camera angles. It is a nifty idea, especially given how the whole film is meant to be a series of memories, which are indeed more fragmental than linear. In a near 80 minute feature though, the editing technique wears thin rather quickly with the split screens seldom enhancing their scenes; this is not a film like Brian De Palma's 'Passion' or 'Twilight's Last Gleaming' in which split screens enhance thrills by showing separate events simultaneously. The storyline is also fairly mundane, editing wizardry aside. There are occasional clever moments, like when she imagines her life as a movie, complete with stylish opening credits, but the most interesting scenes are those in which she converses with her psychiatrist, which are mostly of interest since the role is inexplicably played by an actor in drag.
rooprect
Ever notice whenever a work of art is referred to as "experimental" it usually sucks? Not so here, if "The Tracey Fragments" is indeed experimental, I'd have to say the experiment produced successful results. The gimmick here is that the entire film is presented with multiple cameras showing different "fragments" of Tracey's memories.In the DVD bonus feature, director Bruce McDonald says he used this method to convey the nature of memories. And true, if you think about it, how often do you have a memory that plays out like a linear story? Most often memories jump back & forth, focus on different objects, change perspective and become intertwined with other memories.If you're ready for a disorienting experience like this, then you'll enjoy this movie because, while being difficult to digest, it's ultimately a rewarding experience. Tracey (expertly played by Ellen Page) is a 15-year-old outcast who is constantly ridiculed & abused by schoolmates, parents and strangers. The movie recounts 2 or 3 intense days in her life, beginning with the story of her missing brother, jumping back to a few days before, and eventually coming full circle and then beyond. While the story itself is linear, the narration (through Tracey's memories) is anything but linear, and the multiple cameras add a deeper dimension of confusion.But whether you grasp every individual camera & scene or not, the story unfolds clearly, and by the end we are aware of what happened with a few dramatic surprises to boot. Although I hate the phrase "coming of age story" because it conjures up images of extreme boredom and sappiness, this movie is a great, gritty, powerful coming of age story. It's a lot like how I would imagine the book "Catcher in the Rye" with its seemingly random episodes that are glued together by a common theme. In the case of "The Tracey Fragments" (much like Catcher) the theme is about a young adolescent who sees himself/herself as the protector of a younger child; however, the protector herself is coming apart from the strain of protecting innocence while losing her own innocence.Although the character Tracey is a lot like Ellen Page's character in "Juno" as well as her character in "Whip It", don't expect the same quirky humor because "The Tracey Fragments" is much darker and sometimes disturbing. You might crack a smile at some scenes, and she does have a few great sarcastic lines, but mostly this is a heavy drama with an emphasis on weird.There aren't many films I can compare this to, but one that comes to mind is the excellent "Man of the Year" (2002) starring John Ritter, a movie featuring about 2 dozen actors and 2 dozen cameras filming simultaneously in real time. Another film I'm reminded of is "Pi" (1998) the directoral debut of Darren Aronofsky who also did "Requiem for a Dream", "The Fountain" and "Black Swan". If you like dark films like those with unusual visual styles, give this one a whirl.
alyssabruce97
This film is yet another great thanks to Ellen's amazing performance. Throughout the film, you see Tracey fall in love, attempt to rebel, deal with the bullies and completely break down. Exactly what every other teen goes through. But being that I'm the same age as Tracey in the film, I honestly couldn't have delivered the role better even if I were experiencing this first hand! She came off to me as a truly honest and genuine person.It took me until the end but I realized the symbolism of growing up (another great quality about this film, making it so unique.) After she lost her virginity to Slim Twig's character, her little brother disappeared. Her little brother symbolized her innocence or her childhood. And the fact that she made her top priority finding her little brother showed responsibility. Overall I believe that though fragmented screen put my eyes to work, it was appropriate for the scatter-brained, emotionally unstable girl. Both Ellen Page and Slim Twig did a fantastic job and the symbolism made it even better. This is a truly unique film and I'd say it's easily in my personal top 5!
MrGKB
...this was artsy nonsense with a capital fartsy, no two ways about it. Presented in a scattergun multi-frame format, Bruce "Picture Claire" McDonald's "experimental" rendition of novice novelist Maureen Medved's faux "Catcher in the Rye" tale of teen angst and despair (with a screenplay by the selfsame author) utterly fails to engage, primarily due to its highly stylized presentation, and almost completely unlikeable protagonist, a loopy 15-year-old outcast with some serious problems (like losing a little brother who thinks he's a dog) and an attitude that made this viewer wish she would follow him wherever he probably went. Starring Ellen "Hard Candy" Page, who riffs incessantly on the darker edges of her "Juno" persona, "The Tracey Fragments" is far too much of a labor to watch to get anything meaningful out of it. No doubt Ms. Medved was tickled to write her own screen adaptation--more power to her--but if her source material is anything like this film, it must be damned near unreadable, and just as depressingly irritating. I give it five stars strictly for the obvious love and craftsmanship that went into it, and a pretty decent soundtrack. Ms. Page is a fine actress, and I hope she got a good paycheck, but this is not the sort of pretentious twaddle I want to see her doing. Grow up, young lady, and start acting your age. Of slim peripheral interest: "The Tracey Fragments" features at least two kevinbacons to George Romero. I'll leave it to Constant Reader to discover them.
