Film Review – By Design

The director of “Ladyworld,” “Please Baby Please,” and the visual essay “So Unreal” fully retains her love for the bizarre with “By Design.” Amanda Kramer (who also scripts) explores the experience of being a woman in the feature, and doing so through a premise that finds the lead character sending her very soul into a chair she’s desperate to purchase, but cannot afford. While it might sound like a set-up for a comedy, Kramer remains absolutely serious about the story, attempting to understand a world of pressure and isolation from a more abstract POV. “By Design” is absolutely not for casual watching, as the helmer mounts a highly specialized viewing experience that takes some getting used to while it teases aimlessness at times. The endeavor has a capable cast to help support the strangeness of the idea, and Kramer has a few things to share about the state of being a woman in the world today, keeping the picture interesting when it isn’t always engaging. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com