Ended on 5/24/2007
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CASTING ABOUT -
(unrated)
2004 - USA - English - 86 minutes - Kino
Directed by: Barry J. Hershey
Featuring: thousands of actresses
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showtimes and tickets
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 CASTING ABOUT is a lyrical, feature documentary that explores the captivating experience of casting actors. From the point of view of a filmmaker, we see and hear many of the 350 actresses who audition for three roles in a dramatic film. CASTING ABOUT includes footage from audition sessions held in Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, and Los Angeles – weaving together actor interviews, monologues, and scene work to create an impressionistic collage of the casting experience.
In late 2000, filmmaker Barry J. Hershey set out to cast actresses for a dramatic film that he had co-written and intended to direct. The plan was to incorporate some of the casting footage into the fiction film, an idea arising from Hershey’s first experience with casting at film school more than 20 years earlier. After reviewing the more than 70 hours of casting tapes, a decision was made to shape this rich material into a film of its own.
The film presents footage of 184 actresses – many of whom perform monologues from the work of renowned contemporary playwrights such as Eric Bogosian, David Hare, Richard LaGravenese, Susan Miller, Keith Reddin, Nina Shengold, and Alfred Uhry.
"The acting process is joyously celebrated in 'Casting About,' a captivating documentary shot entirely in audition rooms during the search for three thesps for a feature film."
Richard Kuipers, Variety
"Superb... an artful compilation of actress auditions with more entertainment value than most jobs they'll ever land."
The Boston Globe
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Users Comments
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by : Jessica Leigh |
Date Added: 4/24/2007 2:58:35 PM  report this post |
I loved this film when I saw it at the Independent Film Festival of Boston. Beforehand, I thought, “How interesting can a film about auditioning or casting be?” From the opening minutes, I was completely enthralled. Through the experiences of nearly two hundred actresses, the film shows beautifully how nerve-racking and how exhilarating auditions - and the very process of acting - can be.
It opens with a lyrical montage of people entering an audition room - it’s beautifully edited to reveal nervous ticks, odd quirks, or anxieties. Then slowly, as you spend more time with each actress, you’re surprised by what they bring, before each audition even begins.
One actress declares that one of her greatest gifts is her amazing sense of smell – she can smell farts in a room before anyone else can. Another is a little too in love with the idea of doing nudity on screen. Another actress talks about the different towns she grew up in, speaking in one Southern dialect before seamlessly switching to another.
To witness the acting process – to see an adorably funny person suddenly transform into someone else – was pretty amazing. At times, though, emotions were so raw that I couldn’t tell what was real and what was performance – which was fascinating. The editing style reveals these layers in a poetic and really surprising way.
The personal stories that surface are often as engaging and startling as the performances themselves. One actress, clearly with something on her mind, reveals that she’s come directly from a court appearance, having given final testimony against the man who violently assaulted her. It’s an unforgettable moment, full of compassion, heartache, and strength. And as an actress, her monologue was fearless and brilliant – which makes you wonder about the darkness and depths of sadness and emotion she had to draw upon.
As funny as it is moving, “Casting About” is a captivating film, filled with remarkable women. Beautifully edited, it’s not to be missed.
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| Posted
by : a must see |
Date Added: 5/13/2007 12:51:56 PMreport this post |
This film is a beautiful work of art. I saw it opening night in New York and it was so refreshing to see such innovative work in an industry thirsty for just that. The film is fun to watch, not just for people in the entertainment industry, but for anyone looking for a solid creative documentary. I highly recommend seeing this while it's out in the theatres, it's so visually entertaining you should definitely see it on the big screen!! I'm so impressed by the concept for this film, and so glad there are filmmakers out there who aren't conforming. Keep them coming Mr. Hershey!
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by : trisha a. |
Date Added: 5/13/2007 12:58:39 PMreport this post |
What a brilliant idea for a film.. I wonder if the director plans on making the film these women are casting for?? But i don't find it necessary, this is a whole complete work of art on it's own. Beautiful, wonderful, funny, interesting, very entertaining overall. I have already recommended it to all friends in the area.
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by : sarah hardy |
Date Added: 5/13/2007 1:01:34 PMreport this post |
How much more interesting would our world be if each film were as different as this one? Very great experience. I strongly recommend checking it out.
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by : G.G.T |
Date Added: 5/13/2007 1:04:36 PMreport this post |
Fabulous film, just see it, I don't want to try and explain it with words, but just see it.
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by : Timothy Blake |
Date Added: 5/13/2007 1:06:05 PMreport this post |
I wasn't sure what to expect going into this film. But I came out very pleasantly surprised. It's really a quite genius documentary. And I am so glad I caught it in the theatre, it's a piece of art that most definitely should be viewed on the big screen if possible.
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by : y. gnissik |
Date Added: 5/15/2007 3:05:50 AMreport this post |
Casting About is a riveting film- one is immediately absorbed by the multilayeredness on the visual and emotional levels but this complexity is always treated subtley, minimally, in order to frame and highlight the unfolding of the individual actresses. The film evokes high levels of audience mind-participation because of questions raised about identity, human fragility, narcissism, which touch us all, and about more political sex/gender issues, which touch us all too. A little masterpiece.
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by : Crazy Critic |
Date Added: 5/15/2007 9:20:31 AMreport this post |
I thought the film was excellent, a true reality film that explores the underbelly of cinema.
On a side note one of the actresses from Boston by the name of Jen was real knock out, highly recommend taking a gander at this film.
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by : Crazy Critic |
Date Added: 5/15/2007 9:20:31 AMreport this post |
I thought the film was excellent, a true reality film that explores the underbelly of cinema.
On a side note one of the actresses from Boston by the name of Jen was real knock out, highly recommend taking a gander at this film.
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by : Jules |
Date Added: 5/19/2007 11:04:37 PM report this post |
what a waste of my time and money!!!! This film is horrible! I fell asleep halfway through. It portrays the women as objects and the filmmakers seem as if they are making fun of the actresses.
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by : cinema village regular |
Date Added: 12/5/2007 6:21:29 PMreport this post |
Jessica Leigh, you must be related to the director - or be one of the numerous bad actresses i was just forced to endure.
This is absolutely the worst film I have witnessed in many years. "How interesting can a film about auditioning or casting be?" - EXACTLY. It's like watching job interviews for the post office. Let's watch bad actresses perform bad parts to a movie so poor it was never made. Hmm, a nun, a nude model and what? No explanation, no correlation, no concept, no art - NO ANYTHING. This film makes golf look like a contact sport.
Seriously, how big must the ego of a director be to even remotely think that people would find this drivel entertaining. Complete waste of time and money. I would give it a deficit score if the option existed.
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by : Tine Brice |
Date Added: 12/5/2007 11:46:39 PMreport this post |
Crap indeed. Why would Cinema Village pick this up?
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