Synopsis

Patchwork bridges the gap between the painted smile of Julius Carallo and his audience. This film explores the distinctions between a dejected 62-year-old man and his consuming persona as Clown Chips. The make- up serves as a mask for Carallo, but also for his audience. Those that see his painted smile are engrossed by it. They forget that Carallo is a human, and see him only as the care-free, fun performer he embodies on stage.

But, Carallo faces problems and tragedies of his own as a grieving parent coping with the murder of a son. The make-up is an opportunity to create a disconnect between his own reality, using his clown persona to escape his tragic past.

Reviews

100.0/5 Stars.

How We Survive

by anniebwrites on Jun 11th, 2011

I've never been big on clowns. I've always looked at them as actors who force falseness on everyone. While clowns may push this artificiality on others--it's their job, after all--this film has erased my skepticism and colored my view with empathy.

We all endure sorrow in different ways. This portrait of a husband and father who escapes from tragedy in order to keep going makes perfect sense to anyone who has gone through extreme hurt and come out of it intact--and often better. This story is engrossing because it is gently but honestly shot and edited, and its music and minimal effects sensitively mesh to move the story forward. It's reminiscent of the subtle depth of foreign films.

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