As if this rudimentary story of a girl named Alex (Sandra Bauchiero) wanting to fit in with society (as explained to the viewers by a round table discussion with her thoughts personified) wasn’t bad enough, the actress portraying her comes directly from the school of overacting. That makes for one thoroughly detestable package.
Having a girl confront herself over real or perceived personal problems is an interesting idea, and there are probably plenty of people who are upset they don’t fit in with society at large (apparently there is no need to reach for the stars when you can just shop at the mall), but it isn’t handled very well here. Part of that problem stems from the dialogue, which is stilted and instantly forgettable. The larger part of the problem, however, is the actress.
The lines are easy and the role isn’t demanding, but Bauchiero can’t handle it. When something is this easy, you can’t screw it up without coming across as an amateur (that goes for both the writer/director and the star). Unfortunately, this film is amateurish in every way and the script probably didn’t even read good on paper.
Some kindly advice to budding filmmakers out there: Don’t commit your very first idea for a film to film. Put it aside for a year or two and work on other stories. Then come back to it. If it still grabs you, go with it. Otherwise, you’ve got “Fragments.”
