Prospective viewers, especially if they are neurotic cat lovers (and I count myself among them), would do well to recall the "it's only a movie" mantra for several key scenes – especially since one of the biggest censures to threaten the film was over perceived feline abuse. De Heer assures viewers that the cat in question was, in fact, saved from the pound and well rewarded with a nice long life after filming. It's unclear if the same can be said for lead actor Nicholas Hope, whose various humiliations are now forever immortalized – but all to his great credit, for he anchors this stunning and unique film with flawless transitions that careen between a naïve and innocent man-child demeanor and outbursts of autistic and manic intensity that can be either violently destructive or magically productive.
The first half-hour of Bad Boy Bubby is so oppressive and grim that De Heer realized his original idea of presenting these scenes in a cramped aspect ratio would make it unbearably claustrophobic for the viewer, so he opened it up to a 2.35:1 widescreen aspect ratio to let the scenes breathe even as both Bubby and his cat suffocate under the weight of Bubby's oppressive "Mam." In turn, Bubby's mother only leaves the squalid apartment with a gas mask so as to keep Bubby in fear of the outside world and to make sure he won't escape. But escape he does, and so Bubby's journey begins. Aside for being a stranger in what is, for him, a new planet, Bubby also has a talent for mimicry that compulsively informs every scene that follows. Thematically, the cinematic relatives that come to mind are The Wild Child (1970) by Francois Truffat and Being There (1979) by Hal Ashby, but otherwise it's hard to compare both of these traditional films to Bad Boy Bubby if only because De Heer's film is so completely whacked out, crazy, unpredictable, and also quite inspired and totally memorable in its own deranged way.
With most films, should the viewer leave for a quick bathroom break they could easily come back and fill in the gaps as to what they had missed. Not so with Bad Boy Bubby, for even the briefest trip to the lavatory might mean missing an entire segment that you could never have predicted and yet, somehow, plays an instrumental part to the whole. One of the reasons for this comes down to its unique construction as a work that gestated over several years, with De Heer writing down bizarre life moments and then putting them away for later. In some cases he'd revisit scenes that he realized weren't quite as strange anymore, so he'd ratchet them up a bit, thus creating a tapestry of changing encounters that are all amped up in their strangeness and glory, and that range from Bubby joining a rock band to eventually playing a key role in another group that assists people with cerebral palsy. He also kills things with cling wrap, but that's all part of his learning curve.
Adding to the dynamic element of the film is De Heer's decision to shoot each segment with a different cinematographer/director of photography, so that the end credits reveal 32 different names in this capacity. It's a daring venture but the gambit pays off by making each separate scene vibrate with a unique visual signature, and Hope's riveting performance as Bubby helps to anchor the overall flow of the story. Another interesting stylistic feat, which the dvd announces in a foreword, is the use of what De Heer refers to as a binaural sound design that is captured by attaching small transistorized microphones just behind each of Hope's ears. The microphones are hidden behind Bubby's hair, which was relatively easy to do since Bubby always looks like he licked a light socket first thing in the morning. The effect is interesting and just a touch disorienting, which was De Heer's intent as he wanted the viewer to share in Bubby's more immediate and askew way of taking in the world.
The dvd by Blue Underground for Bad Boy Bubby includes an interview with director De Heer that is very informative and will certainly elevate ones respect for the film. Other bonuses include an interview with Actor Nicholas Hope, as well as an earlier short film in which he starred and that helped land him the role in Bad Boy Bubby. A gallery of stills and the original theatrical trailer round out the package.
For more information about Bad Boy Bubby, visit Blue Underground. To order Bad Boy Bubby, go to TCM Shopping.
by Pablo Kjolseth
