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At first it was just a film review and an interview, and what seemed like simple ones at that. Matt Porterfield was a professor at Johns Hopkins University, the same University I had been enrolled in over the past four years, and his new film, Putty Hill, was about to open in New York, Baltimore, and LA. I had seen Porterfield’s first film, Hamilton, and appreciated its simple but compelling depiction of the life of a middle-class couple in Baltimore. I was what you would call an intrigued fan, and already felt somewhat of a premature connection to the new film – a connection that I admit, was largely due to Porterfield’s Hopkins affiliation and the fact that Putty Hill was based in Baltimore, a city I had grown to love. But there was also a great deal of buzz surrounding Putty Hill – how it awed viewers at indie festivals over the passed year, and gained acclaim from several renowned film critics. Naturally I wanted to see the film and get some insight into the creative process – heck, his office was down the hall from my weekly French class. What I got, however, was more than just a glimpse into the depths of a unique artistic process and more than just a taste of the real Baltimore youth. Putty Hill not only speaks to the realities of middle class America but feeds off of the particularities of Baltimore – a city that is essentially the inspiration of the film as well as the protagonist.
Putty Hill originally grew out of another one of Porterfield’s projects, Metal Gods, a film about drug dealers and drop-outs. When it became apparent that Metal Gods was too expensive for the director’s budget, he and his creative team, along with the crew and much of the same cast, turned to Putty Hill. What started with a simple five page written road map soon developed into a documentary style full-length film that follows the lives of a number of Baltimore-based characters and their reactions to the drug overdose and death of Cory, a family member and friend. The film ends up highlighting the intricacies of those characters’ thoughts and lives in the aftermath of the death. With no script or pre-written dialogue, the cast, made up mainly of young, first-time actors, improvised their scenes, illustrating the essence of the story with little to no barrier between them and the camera. An off-screen interrogator (Porterfield’s voice) transitions in and out of the narrative to create an even greater sense of the reality of time and place. Porterfield explains, “The documentary device of the interview was a really nice way to open up the process of collaboration to include the cast and have them speak about their own lives.” Essentially, viewers are seldom sure if what they’re watching is fiction or reality, if hand gestures are hints of an actor’s personal idiosyncrasies or a director’s cue, if a stray cat is placed in the middle of a dark, eerie road or if it just happens to be there at the perfect moment (perfect moment). And it works. Unlike other films of its kind that accentuate adolescent life, love, drugs, poverty, and death through gripping plot lines and controversial scenes, Putty Hill gives you the Baltimore-characters’ realities – simple exchanges, silent moments and all. You are truly marinating in their existence.
Sitting in the New York City theater the weekend of the premiere, watching Putty Hill unfold, I found myself desperately wanting to go back to Baltimore. Even when robberies and gun-downs, that I myself have grown accustomed to, were mentioned within the first ten minutes of the film; even when ratty row houses, bathing in poverty, filled the majority of the scenes’ backgrounds; even when Jenny, played by Sky Ferreira, screamed at her neglectful father and vowed to never come back to the shitty town, I was hungry for Baltimore. The city may in fact, be a shitty town, but if anything the film speaks of the hope that lies within. Touches of opportunity, intelligence, and potential are hidden in every shot, and the film, in itself, a product of a Baltimorian director, also attests to the beauty that can come from a place so overlooked. Matt Porterfield grew up in Baltimore as did artists Matt Papich of Co La and Ecstatic Sunshine, Denny Bowen of Double Dagger, Dustin Wong, Dope Body, and Chris Keating of Yeasayer, all of whom came up to New York City for the premiere and to play the film’s after-parties. The musical performances at Lit Lounge following the Sunday night screenings were different, skillful, exceptional – much like how I would describe Porterfield’s take on film. And, even more special, was the almost-tangible community bubble present that night. The artists seemed to feed off of each other as they took the stage and were, needless to say, there for each other and appreciated what each was producing. Baltimore was, once more, making its stand, in the most Baltimore of ways: without seeking recognition, without flaunting anything, but by just being and presenting itself to those who take the time to notice.
Putty Hill opens in Baltimore at the Charles Theater on March 4th, 2011.
PUTTY HILL THEATRICAL TRAILER from Matt Porterfield on Vimeo.
More information on the Baltimore premiere can be found at http://puttyhillmovie.com/.
Tags: Baltimore, Juliette Eisner, Matt Porterfield, New York City, Putty Hill, The Charles
Filed Under: Community Feature
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