Rules is clearly a student film. Considered in its context, and compared to other student films, it may very well have abundant virtues, and in fact the DVD case notes that it won several awards... but by receiving a DVD release, the film is now being put into the company of professional efforts (both from independent and studio filmmakers). It's in that context that I have to review it; while Rules may well stand out in the student crowd, it sinks like a stone in the deeper waters of more polished film.

Rules follows the character of Tito Gonzalez (played by Juan Enrique Martínez, who is also the film's director and writer) through one eventful day that involves his relationships with his cousin Carmen (Onahoua Rodriguez) and his friend Eddie (Andrew Hamrick). A story like this lives and dies on its script and acting, but unfortunately neither holds up well in Rules. The acting is weak at best, maudlin at worst, and the dialogue is uniformly awkward, except when it ranges into cheesy territory (especially in one scene where the characters offer some "socially responsible" insights about safe sex; I mean, I agree with the idea, but the presentation is really hokey).

A number of elements, both major and minor, that give Rules a thoroughly amateurish feel. One major factor is the choice of low-budget film lenses that keep everything in focus at the same time; the lack of visual depth in the scene feels unnatural and stands as one of the major markers of "homemade." Other unprofessional elements abound. In one scene, a character visits another character's apartment, which is supposed to look messy. But the effect ends up being rather unintentionally humorous, as the piles of clothes on the floor are so obviously placed there deliberately to fit someone's idea of what a messy apartment should look like. Then there's the music, which strikes me as being of the "guys in the dorm room next door who happen to have a band" type.

Am I being hard on this independent film produced on a shoestring budget? Yes, but fairly so. Just as a multi-million-dollar Hollywood production has to be judged on its own merits and not on its list of stars or its advertising campaign, so too does a tiny film like Rules. For an example of independent filmmaking with an artistically successful result, we can look at a film like  Soundman; likewise, a garage gem like Star Warp'd can show us that a miniscule budget won't hold down a great idea. As for Rules, it's simply that judged on its own merits as film, it falls well short of being worth watching.

The DVD

Video

Rules is presented on DVD in a non-anamorphic widescreen transfer, at its original 1.78:1 aspect ratio. I'm aware that the filmmakers were most likely not aiming for a polished look, and that their budget wouldn't have allowed for it anyway. But the long and the short of it is that allowances for style and budget only go so far, and Rules just looks lousy. The image is grainy and noisy, with the result that the image is never particularly clear or sharp. Pixellation is evident at various points in the film, especially when the digital zoom is used. Making things worse is the lackluster contrast: a black and white film is utterly reliant on good contrast in order to look decent, and here it's just not up to par. Blacks look faded and whites look grayish, and in any backlit scene any detail in the foreground completely disappears.

Audio

Rules comes with a Dolby 2.0 soundtrack, but unfortunately, the film doesn't sound any better than it looks. When at least half the dialogue is unintelligible, it's generally a sign that the soundtrack is problematic. One issue here is that the soundtrack seems to include miscellaneous environmental noise equally with dialogue, so various creaks, rustles, and bumps as a character walks across the room are distractingly evident. There's also a fairly strong background hum in many scenes.

Extras

For viewers who are interested in the filmmaking process at this level, Rules offers a nice selection of special features. The main features are a pair of audio commentary tracks for the feature: one with director, writer, and actor Juan Enrique Martínez, and a second with actors Andrew Hamrick and Onahoua Rodriguez.

For more detail on the making of the film, the DVD includes two interviews. The first is a four-minute piece in which Martínez interviews himself... opening with a sheepish admission that he doesn't know what to say or how to handle the interview. The second interview is with Hamrick and Rodriguez, and runs seventeen minutes, with the actors sharing their thoughts on the experience of making the film. A photo gallery and trailer are also included, along with an insert into the DVD case detailing Martínez's difficulties in getting the film made.

Final thoughts

Rules doesn't have much to offer viewers looking for an interesting or enjoyable film experience; the film itself is uninteresting, and the image and sound quality are poor as well. Students of filmmaking might find the film instructive, as it comes with several commentaries. My general recommendation, however, is simply to skip it.