The Pleasure Of Being Robbed

The Pleasure of Being Robbed is an interesting first feature from Josh Safdie. It feels like a piece of the NY guerrilla filmmaking and the mumblecore movement in the early 2000s. It's certainly an odd feature in its own right.

The mumblecore movement defined the indie filmspace in the early 2000s. It was a product of digital technological advancement, offering cheaper video and a low-fidelity approach for independent filmmakers.

However, the mumblecore movement was driven by a personal millennial social malaise, sensitive personas, and the impact of technology on today's youth, with uncomfortable silence often ranging in between, lending itself to improvised dialogue.

Perhaps it's the reason why the mumblecore movement never reached its mainstream popularity. By design, these films were personal and obscure works by millennial filmmakers who were interested in interrogating personal assumptions about the world of the 2000s.

Consequently, these films could never compete with the mainstream polish of the mid-budget Apatow films that tread these same thematic preoccupations with hip actors in a formulaic structure, with huge success.

The Pleasure of Being Robbed doesn't work functionally. Its muted pacing, hazy character motivations (particularly Emily), and loose plot lack catharsis and represent the worst tendencies of the mumblecore movement, especially with its contemporary legacy.

At times, the film overstays its welcome with its listlessness and aimless structure. Its saccharine and sentimental nature leads to toothless character motivations and condoning problematic actions (kleptomania, stealing) despite its honest intentions.

However, Emily's actions of kleptomania reflect her desire for connection and the urban disconnect of New York. After all, she lives in a cramped, messy apartment all alone by herself and seeks connection with other people.

However, despite its flaws, there's a certain naive innocence and controlled chaos baked into the film. Ellenore's escapades throughout the film have a naivety to them and come across as an ironic juxtaposition to the seedy and cynical post-2000s New York.

Safdie's films also feel like an exploration of visceral and raw seedy aspects of New York. However, in The Pleasure Of Being Robbed, it's a backdrop against Ellenore's innate optimism and a somewhat carefree approach towards life.

Like its mumblecore contemporaries, it's narratively and technically stilted. It's a digital film that looks muted with 16mm grain. The unpolished cinematography conveys chaotic handheld camera movement, high frame rate, but lacks polish and finesse.

The minimal cast lacks fame, star power, and is a moderate fit to the material. The minuscule production design conveys a raw, dingy, and frantic look of New York. Its minimal sound design employs ambience, silence, and emphasis.

Overall Pleasure Of Being Robbed is an amateur film with unpolished technical finesse. However, its flaws are underpinned by something interesting underneath it, even if it doesn't come together as well as it should.

Writing: 3/10

Direction: 4/10

Cinematography: 4/10

Acting: 6/10

Editing: 5/10

Sound: 6/10

Score: 5/10

Prod Design: 7/10

Casting: 4/10

Effects: 4/10

Overall Score: 4.8/10