A Problem with Fear

Here’s an odd one. A Problem with Fear marks Gary Burns’ follow-up to waydowntown, a quirky Canadian film about a group of co-workers that bet to see who can stay indoor the longest. Like that film, A Problem with Fear relies more on inexplicably odd behavior among its characters than anything else to propel the story forward. But Burns keeps the audience in the dark as to what’s really going on for so long that when the pieces finally do begin to fall into place, it’s almost impossible to care. Our hero, Laurie (Paulo Costanzo), is afraid of virtually everything – making him a prime candidate for a new product that’s somehow able to warn him of imminent danger. Still, his struggle getting through even simple everyday tasks (he forces his sister to walk him to work) is beginning to wear thin on his loyal girlfriend, Dot (Emily Hampshire). But when a “fear storm” hits the city, causing the worst fears of its citizens to come true, Laurie is finally forced to confront his demons. It’s certainly a unique premise for a film, and Burns should be applauded for trying to do something different. But the obtuse nature of Burns’ screenplay (which he co-wrote with Donna Brunsdale) makes it impossible for the audience to make any kind of connection with the characters. Even if you’re willing to overlook Laurie’s increasingly bizarre conduct, practically every other character in the film acts just as oddly. Dot’s a perfect example of this; her goofy appearance (she sports a ’50s hairstyle, braces, and enough lipstick to keep a dozen drag queens in business for a good long while) complements her weird school project, which requires her to question various bystanders on where they get their look from. The whole film has an air of smugness about it, as if Burns has created this 92-minute joke which either you get or you don’t. And the resolution, involving the origins of the “fear storm” and Laurie’s connection to it, is just plain silly. Having said that, the film is almost always interesting just to look at, with Burns using a wide variety of filters and cinematic tricks to keep things visually intriguing. It’s not enough, however, to elevate A Problem with Fear to anything more than an oddball curiosity.

** out of ****