Benjamin Dickinson’s “Creative Control” takes a satirical look on how we interact with technology.
In a landscape of black and white, occasionally feeling like everyone is stuck inside of Apple’s packaging, Dickinson’s character David is a Brooklyn, advertisement executive in the near future. As he utilizes the latest, augmented reality tech from his newest client he has a sort of affair with his best friend’s girlfriend, played by Alexia Rasmussen. Through his demise the audience gets a view of how people manipulate tech and the resulting effect on their life.
Throughout the entire film, every shot is truly stunning. The minimal design is crisp and mirrors the streamlined mindset of tech companies today. The environment of glass and mirrored surfaces is utilized in several shots to display the perceived transparency in different relationships. In actuality, David isolates himself from everyone around him. The dramatic classical music accompanies David’s interactions with technology, occasionally with a moment of color, but reality around him remains quiet and gray.
The film’s viewpoint comes from the attempt of several characters to break away from the false joys that modern living creates, but ultimately come up short due to their own shortcomings rather than a supposed obsession with tech.
Creative Control shows an interesting take on technology as something terrible people use to do terrible things. A dark and funny cousin to Spike Jonze’s Her, the film reveals we may being letting technology make us feel stuck. It’s up to ourselves to get out though.
Creative Control will be in theaters on March 11.
We screened the film at the New York premiere. Following the screening, guests headed over to Goldbar where they sipped on Serpent’s Bite Whisky cocktails.
