THE TRACEY FRAGMENTS World Cinema

Against a cold Winnipeg backdrop, Tracey Berkowitz wandered looking for her missing younger brother Sonny, who thinks he is a dog. This abstract meditation on teenage alienation set in a gritty cruel environment is a brilliant realization of themes ands stylistic experimentation-the recent project of director Bruce McDonald (HIGHWAY 61, DANCE ME OUTSIDE).

McDonald constantly chops up images, dividing the screen into segments and offering us multiple points of view and moments in time. As these miniature frames move out across the black canvas, the truths of various characters are uncovered in unexpected ways, with only minimal dialogue. And though the theme of teenage angst is a familiar one, McDonald turns it into an opportunity to build beautiful and innovative structures.

Cause and effect, action and reaction- all are thrown in high relief, as McDonald and his excellent cast (led by Ellen Page Oscar favorite for her turn in JUNO) reveal the aching humanity behind the visible world. If you are looking for a truly original cinematic experience, and are ready to expand your concept of the potential for narrative film, this is the movie to see.