A revolutionary businessman tries to conquer the world with $2,000. In itself, this premise is enough to pique anyone’s interest; and “Externo,” the directorial debut for Jonathan and Leandro Taub (aka Taub Brothers), does that.
It’s a tall order to have a debut film provide scathing commentary of today’s world. And, indeed, how the directors executed their vision from script to screen is indicative of such work in progress. Nevertheless, such endeavor deserves a closer look to be treated as a promising filmmaking force.
And for better or for worse, “Externo” amply serves as the Taub Brothers’ calling card.
A Man Tries to Conquer the World with $2,000—and Remaining ‘Externo’
So, let’s begin: A man tries to own the world with a starting money of $2,000. Want to know how he does it? The filmmakers might have thought that an 80-minute film divided into 17 chapters would help the audiences understand better. Imagine if Christopher Nolan did this with “Tenet.” That movie would be 10 hours long.
“I own the world on a monetary level.”
Written by Leandro Taub, “Externo” introduces us to the man named Joseph (whom Taub also plays), a solitary man who loves exercise and thumps his chest regularly that could give this man a run for his money. With a consuming obsession to achieve his goal of conquering the world, Joseph begins his quest with a measly amount. To pull this off, he works closely with his associate on the phone, named Zeta (who also serves as the narrator at some points of the film).
As he slowly builds his empire, Joseph continues to operate in desolate buildings, rundown properties, and god-forsaken warehouses. This is actually an interesting contrast. It illustrates how Joseph’s goals transcend the fading glamour money can buy, when the tradeoff is ownership of the entire planet.
“I own practically everything and everyone.”
The chapters of the film serve as aspects of the objective Joseph has in front of him. These include real estate, finance, politics, food industry, and drugs. Without spoiling anything, Taub’s character really looks like a man who’s got the world on a string. By the time we see how he was able to grow his money from $2,000 to $4,000,000 in no time, we realize Joseph seriously means business. And as “Externo” nears its climax, that amount has ballooned to $2,300,000,000,000.
The Conundrum with Staying ‘Externo’: A Woman Enters the Picture
But then, as in any other film, a plot device comes along to pose a threat to the man’s plans. Enter the Woman (Elizabeth Ehrlich), a lingering presence that threatens to sidetrack Joseph from his goals and his conquest.
Does he take a chance on the possible relationship or dismiss it from the get-go, believing it to be a distraction and not an inspiration? Throughout the movie, the Taub Brothers repeatedly show how Joseph’s goal is a manifestation of his desire to search for something that would fill the void. And as audiences, we already know what that search entails, but for obvious reasons, Joseph doesn’t. In fact, “Externo” begins with the Woman telling Joseph she’s ready to know everything about him.
And that’s where we get our cue, an exposition-heavy part that feels too forced and convoluted to be affective. They partake in a love-hate relationship that plays out like children engaging in puppy love: she loves him, but he rebuffs her. She persuades him to drop his charade; he responds that all he can give her is the minimum. Ultimately, it becomes apparent that Joseph fears that acknowledging his feelings for the Woman would mean divided attention and eventual derailment of his plans of global domination. At the end of the day, the singular focus to rule the world still reigns supreme in his heart.
Combining Malickian Imagery with Tarantinoesque Cue Cards: Does It Work?
Throughout the course of the movie, the Taub Brothers use title cards for each chapter, evoking the cinematic style of films by Quentin Tarantino (Joseph even namechecks a certain ‘Mr. Pink’ over the phone as a homage to a Tarantino character). And most of those title cards are superimposed on imagery that pays homage to the artistic quality Terrence Malick’s movies. But does it work?
Mostly, it does. The pacing is decent, the cinematic elements ambitious, and the soundtrack very good. In addition, the cinematography work by Jesse Mickle and Jonas Schneider is, to say the least, a clear product of the Malickian School of Imagery.
As an independent art film, “Externo” looks like the Taub Brothers’ love letter to their love of cinema. It doesn’t matter if that letter reads awkward for other people; the important thing is the expression of such passion. And truly, even it at times the movie becomes increasingly frustrating to watch and follow, no one can say that “Externo” lacked the passion.
But as we know, passion without a strong vision is merely pipedream in media res with nary a structure to make it stand still. And here’s where “Externo” shows the brothers with room for improvement.
‘Externo:’ A Half-Baked Commentary Born Out of Filmmakers’ Growing Pains
Do you know the feeling of reading a self-help book that’s titled something along the lines of, ‘I Lost 120 Pounds in 45 Days: Here’s My Success Story’? Imagine adapting that book on film—chapter by chapter. Chunks of dialogue are directly lifted from the book and spoken by the lead character, instead of using the medium to depict the words onscreen.
Similarly, watching “Externo,” the directorial debut of the Jonathan and Leandro Taub (aka Taub Brothers), is like listening to an audio version of that 50-step, do-it-yourself book. Think of such audiobook which also has an extra feature of video illustrations depicting the book’s texts, and you get the idea. As a result, even at a short runtime of 80 minutes, the film drags on forever.
Furthermore, the directorial techniques are befuddling. One minute “Externo” is a morality play rife with monologues; the next it’s a documentary with a third-person narration explaining how one’s humanity leaves a body. Before we know it, the movie switches back to first-person point of view featuring Joseph interrupting the voiceover and breaking the fourth wall in one of the chapters, believing he could explain the story better than the omniscient narrator.
The camerawork is sometimes hard to follow, as if intended to keep us off-guard and gasp for air, knowing another chapter is coming with chunky exposition. The movie also employs sharp cuts from dialogue-heavy scenes to wordless, dance-like interaction between Joseph and the woman. Lastly, “Externo” features protracted scenes of Joseph seemingly exercising alone, stretching and jumping as if shaking off the bad juju that is the distraction brought upon by the woman.
The Problem with Pulling the Punches (and Whatnot)
Two of my biggest problems with “Externo,” however, are among the fundamental elements a film should espouse: a conviction to stand by what the message is, and a strong performance to serve as conduit of said message.
For all sincere intents, “Externo” falls flat on both areas.
At the beginning of the movie, a disclaimer pops up to say that governments and world leaders should take the message of the film with a grain of salt. Just as we settle in, we’re greeted with, “so please be kind and don’t treat this film as reality.” And that’s fundamentally wrong. How can it provide an honest, scornful commentary if the directors pull their punches by hoping the viewers remember that “this is not true, this is just a movie?”
And then there’s the acting, exacerbated by the filmmaking choices done. Yes, it’s admirable for Leandro Taub to star in “Externo.” After all, he wrote the screenplay for this film. But his wooden acting, compounded by the odd decision to use English as the main language instead of the actor’s native tongue, leaves a bitter aftertaste. It’s apparent in most scenes that he struggles with saying his lines, which is a shame, to think that “Externo” is an exercise in exposition. I ended up thinking using their native language instead could’ve added deeper mysticism to the entire movie.
To be honest, “Externo” would’ve benefited more had the Taub Brothers decided to eschew the disclaimer title cards. To heck with appeasing government leaders; provide us with scathing commentary right away.
Finally, the screenplay for “Externo” has an almost-Shakespearean quality to it. Imagine if the filmmakers cast a seasoned Spanish-speaking actor to deliver those monologues. I would be glued to my seat the entire 80 minutes for sure.
Taub Brothers: Promising Filmmakers to Watch Out for Despite ‘Externo’s’ Disjointed Parts
Despite the missteps and the resulting confusion, “Externo” is a film that demands to be seen. This critic firmly believes that if this movie is any indication, then the world better watch out for these filmmakers. After all, this is an art film through and through, an avant-garde viewing experience that has something important to say—and tries really hard to say it. Unfortunately, largely due to its own undoing, the film ultimately fails in its execution.
“Externo” tries to be edgy but shoots itself in the foot with its self-indulgence. In the end, instead of a stirring meta-commentary on the ills of today’s sociopolitical and economic realities, we ultimately get a borderline parody that focuses more on pleasing its viewers than dousing their beds of roses with gasolines of reality to set them ablaze.
“Externo” is currently doing the festival circuit. You can watch the trailer for the film in the window below.
