Rubber
Starring: Stephen Spinella, Jack Plotnick, Wings Hauser, and Robert
Director: Quentin Dupieux
********Spoilers********
Meet Robert.
He is a car tire.
Robert recently woke up in the desert, where he was lodged in a mound of dirt. He rose out of that dirt and learned to roll much like a fawn learns to walk... clumsily. After getting the hang of it, he rolls through the desert, being exposed to all manner of things. Robert learns that he can destroy a plastic water bottle or a scorpion by rolling over them. Once he comes across a beer bottle, he is given a challenge, as he can't just simply run over it and inflict damage. He tries, frustratingly, bouncing into and pressing up against the generic brew as hard as he can, but to no avail. Robert distances himself a few feet from the bottle and focuses on it like a JedI; his body begins rippling, as he directs all of his attention to the object. You can seemingly feel and hear his sound waves building up, until the bottle breaks into two pieces. Then... Silence. He rolls away.
Robert has mental telepathy.
He can make animals explode with his mind. He can pop your head off your body like Michael Ironside in fucking Scanners.
Not too far away, a random group of people watch the madness unfold through binoculars. They are baffled, confused and in awe. How is this possible? What is the cause of this event? Why?
There is a perfect explanation for the film's events right at the beginning, and any question you may ponder through the duration can be answered by referring to said explanation. A police officer (played by Stephen Spinella) gets out of the trunk of a car and gives a verbal essay on the "no reason" element within motion pictures, and in life itself. Take it as advice to put your brain on idle and just enjoy the ride.
By saying that, I don't mean that Rubber is a stupid and cheesy film, it is actually really smart. And while it is littered with hilarious moments throughout, it comes off more like art house horror other than comedy. Most of the amusement comes from the surprising violence and a heap of one-liners, provided by Spinella and Wings Hauser (Vice Squad), who is known in the film only as “Man in Wheelchair”.
The filmmakers of Rubber do as much as they possibly can to pump life into a car tire, and it works really well. Robert is the film's main character. He breathes, sleeps and drinks. He thinks back to what his life once was. He even likes to watch television. Make no mistake, though; the tire is a villain. Robert has no remorse when it comes to depleting the life of desert dwelling critters. He takes things personally and seeks bloody revenge when he feels he's been done wrong. He also develops an infatuation for a woman driving by on the highway, to the point of stalking her. The tire does indeed have issues. One scene in particular shows Robert swaying through the desert gleefully to an uplifting soundtrack, just moments after offing a victim. At times, he is a Michelin tire version of Patrick Bateman.
This isn't a really gory picture, but there are many deaths by way of cranial detonation. The deaths are shown and are indeed bloody, but they aren't excessive. The most entertaining aspect of special FX is Robert, himself. The way in which our lead wanders around on his killing spree is hellishly realistic. With the way Rubber was shot, the battered tire's mannerisms never once look like film trickery. He is real, and his monstrous doings will not easily be forgotten.
While it does contain elements from past supernatural horror films and in some moments feels like a classic slasher, Rubber is ultimately very unique. People searching for another “so bad it's good” extravaganza may be thrown for a loop, as this is fulfilling on a different level. Whether you love it or hate it, the originality cannot be denied.
And, WOW to the finale!
