Rubber (2010)

A co-worker told me about Rubber several years ago. Actually, he told a lot of people about the movie. Not because he thought it was good, but because it was so weird. The plot, as he summed it up, was about a killer tire that makes people’s heads explode. I made a mental note of it on my ever-expanding list of movies people tell me to check out. As luck would have it, I came across a DVD copy of Rubber at Dollar Tree a few months ago. Based on the recommendation and the price, I couldn’t resist buying it.

The plot is even weirder than my co-worker explained. He essentially nailed the core component of the film, but there’s more strangeness at hand. As Rubber opens, a character immediately breaks the fourth wall and delivers a monologue about things that happen in movies for “no reason.” A group of spectators are given binoculars and they begin to watch “the film” as it happens. Occasionally, they’ll deliver commentary on what’s happening. Soon, Rubber becomes both a movie about a killer tire as well as a half-baked treatise about the nature of reality.

Writer/director Quentin Dupieux proves he has a creative mind and an eye for scene composition. His ability to tell a cohesive or satisfying story isn’t showcased quite as prominently here though. Where Dupieux excels is creating a full-fledged character out of an everyday inanimate object. Robert — the tire as he’s credited on the DVD case — never says a word but you can make out what he’s feeling and thinking. But beyond that, the script trips over itself trying to be clever.

The human characters aren’t anywhere near as interesting but they’re certainly bizarre. Most unusual is “The Accountant” (Jack Plotnick), who follows orders to manage the spectators from an unseen boss. Wings Hauser (Vice Squad) plays “Man in Wheelchair,” the smartest of the spectators, with gleeful grit.

I can’t disparage Rubber for not making a lot of sense as that’s not its biggest problem. It just doesn’t do enough with its creative spark to remain interesting. There are plenty of inspired and truly funny moments but, even at a little over 80 minutes, it still feels too long.