The Tracey Fragments (2007)

Sorry, this movie sucks

Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

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.

this is truly a good film for this year so far despite all the shitty films that came out recently. The presentation is really unique and thought-provoking in an artistic way. I find the plot suitable--not too dense which otherwise will make the whole movie too difficult to watch; not too shallow which otherwise would not do justice to the complexity of the medium. Ellen Page is superb here as an actress...she managed to give such a remarkable performance considering her small and gentle physical features. Fitting and powerful soundtrack. Only thing i can criticize is i think the director can enhance the storyflow slightly better to make this a flawless masterpiece of its own genre

Before her "Juno" fame Ellen Page was willing to take all kinds of chances as she followed the career path of Thora Birch from mainstream family entertainment to more cutting edge stuff. "The Tracey Fragments" (2007) was her last film before "Juno" and was like appearing in somebody's limited budget student film. Imagine your basic ahead of the curve student writing a somewhat "bent" screenplay, an inexperienced director turning Page loose to interpret her character without the help of acting for the camera direction, and the entire film class piling into the computer lab to slice and dice the thing in post-production hoping that thousands of hours of digital editing can add some value to the minimalist production.If the idea sounds like fun it probably was; and the end product should please its narrow target audience of film buffs, Page fans, and assorted off-kilter types. "The Tracey Fragments" is a blend of "Ghost World" (2001) and "Gummo" (1997), imagine a dumbed-down Enid (Birch) transplanted to Xenia, Ohio.This coming-of-age story is self-indulgent; with a screenplay chock full of symbolism, a chopped up time-line, and frame-in-frame effects (can you say "fragments") that call attention to themselves. But in this case it is not a bad thing; if you don't find the whole package entertaining you can just focus on the inventive style and on what it tells you about film theory and how viewers expect to read a film.Tracey Berkowitz (the slack-jawed title character) has a secret. She seems to have misplaced her little brother Sonny and the film elliptically reveals the story of Sonny's disappearance and Tracey miserable existence; with the disparate story fragments connected by Tracey's odyssey around town in a bus. But film conventions are not followed and it is impossible to tell which segments are real and which ones are figments of Tracey's imagination. Ultimately the viewer is left to wonder if there ever was a Sonny; that he may simply represent Tracey's loss-of-innocence in what may otherwise be a very traditional coming-of-age tale. By the end we see that her coping mechanism seems to have worked and they go out on a character who probably has come to terms with her reluctant nudge into an adult world; a world that she already finds disappointing but one which will be tolerable because of her low expectations.Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child. Comment

Arguabley one of the most original films out there... The Tracey Fragments might rely a bit too much on its originality and not enough on the substance. I guarantee that several weeks to several years after you see it, you will remember it for the way fragments of Tracey's world are shown on film... it's impact of the picture in picture style speak loud like an abstract painting... but you will forget what it's about. And for that, The Tracey Fragments ultimately fails - like a star giving it's last bursting glimmer, you never forget the that shine but you will never remember exactly where in the sky it was. Still, I can't not recommend this film - Oh no, I still say you must see it and appreciate it for what it is... A very real and fragmented portrait of a young teenage girl named Tracey who fills life's voids with a mixture of fantasy and reality to make a very rental worthy 77 minute original film thats impact will be both lost and lasting - like every awkward 15 year old nobody you see lost in their own world at the back of the city transit. 6.5/10