Clio Barnard

Andrea Dunbar emerged like a fiery revelation from a British housing estate, crafting plays seemingly written with gunpowder. Her autobiographical work, exemplified in Rita, Sue, and Bob Too, attests to the combustible mix of domestic dysfunction, casual racism and chemical dependence that filled her life. If Dunbar blurred the lines between the real world and the stage, then Arbor director Clio Barnard is a kindred spirit. After recording interviews with assorted players in the Dunbar family saga, Barnard seamlessly integrated those conversations with footage of lip-syncing actors portraying the Arbor residents. This truly unorthodox technique is at first surprising, but quickly achieves verisimilitude. The Arbor, by its devastating closing sequence, achieves a singular brew of heady self-awareness and emotional poignancy. (KP)
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_arbor_2010/… (meer)