It’s a shame to see a compelling film slip into taking its themes too literally. There’s almost always a clear break between one side and the other. In I Hate, Edoardo L’Astorina’s short film about classifications and self-reflection, that moment follows four vignettes where Gloria, played by Clare Latham, illustrates why she hates “girls.” She hates all girls with no exceptions. She hates spoiled brats, sport freaks, artsy bores, and businesswomen. And after watching Latham portray one of each, her character’s anger is pretty understandable. But when the film starts taking itself too seriously, it drowns under the melodrama. The protagonist describes that there are little parts of each of these girls inside her and this is where the clear break occurs. Rapid cuts of maniacal laughter scored with a loud and dramatic piano hits the viewer over the head with schizophrenic imagery.
I Hate would most likely work better on a stage, in some sort of one-woman show where Latham wouldn’t be so restricted by constant close-ups and the accompaniment of odd sound effects. Her performance here follows the writing until it’s also way too literal but there’s definitely something there. The filmmaker attempts to explore ideas of self-image, self-loathing, and complicated psyches and even though the film overall comes up short, the core of the film is worth investigating.
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