An exploration of the heightened, extreme emotional sensations of adolescence, The Tracey Fragments is demanding and relentless, an image overload in search of resolution.
The Tracey Fragments (2008)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:32
Fresh:12
Rotten:20
Average Rating:4.9/10
Consensus: Splitscreen intensive and at times ambiguous, this Ellen Page vehicle cum psychodrama takes audacious risks that may confuse.
Runtime: 77 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: Ellen Page (JUNO) stars in this dark comedy about a teen who goes in search of her lost younger brother. From Maureen Medved's script based on her own novel, THE TRACEY FRAGMENTS features music... Ellen Page (JUNO) stars in this dark comedy about a teen who goes in search of her lost younger brother. From Maureen Medved's script based on her own novel, THE TRACEY FRAGMENTS features music from indie band Broken Social Scene. [More]
Starring: Ellen Page, Ari Cohen, Max McCabe-Lokos, Erin McMurtry
Starring: Ellen Page, Ari Cohen, Max McCabe-Lokos, Erin McMurtry, Slimtwig, Julian Richings
Director: Bruce McDonald
Director: Bruce McDonald
Screenwriter: Maureen Medved
Producer: Sarah Timmins
Studio: ThinkFilm
Reviews for The Tracey Fragments
Even with the film's scant running time of 77 minutes, the unrelenting use of Mondrian splitscreen is bound to give anyone a headache.
The basic power of the plot's rewound revelation isn't there, shrapneled by the form . . . Some films reward multiple viewings, but this film, offering multiple views, falls short of being memorably singular.
Too insubstantial to sustain the stylistic excesses of the multiple split screen approach
All this proves is that watching a poorly executed scene from 19 perspectives is worse than watching it once in an unbroken frame.
[Page is] virtually the sole reason to see this duller-than-it-sounds experiment.
The Tracey Fragments is a grating stunt that plays like a film-school project, cutting a bland story into a million tiny irritating pieces.
i pseytoabagkarntistiki fioritoyra poy kanei ta 77 lepta na moiazoyn 7oro, prospathei me ti dihos oysia haritomenia tis, na desei monologoys se eniaia afigisi, kai mporei na se ksegelasei otan to blepeis, alla ligo an to baleis sti seira tha akoyseis ton
It's a story that could have and should have been told in a short film free of McDonald's gimmicks.
By the time The Tracey Fragments fills in its last dark fragments, they don't have the emotional impact they probably should have.
The storytelling eventually gets bogged down in its own fancy footwork, leaving a viewer to wonder why everything was laid out in such a complex way.
The cinematic equivalent of a hyper-pretentious, solo performance piece whose style grows tiresome before you've even finished reading the playbill.
To criticize a film called The Tracey Fragments for being too fragmented may sound a bit on-the-nose, but this experimental drama from Canadian director Bruce McDonald is interesting for a while and then goes to pieces.
This angsty Canadian movie directed by Bruce McDonald takes its title all too literally: Every sequence is splintered into multiple split screens, which means that you can follow the dreary, semi-incomprehensible action from many viewpoints at once.
This audacious puzzlement is worth seeing, I guess, for some startling and innovative visual designs. But it doesn’t amount to anything more substantial than a technical tour de force.
Latest News for The Tracey Fragments
July 07, 2008:
RT on DVD: Dark Knight, Mummy 3 Sneak Peeks
This week, we dispense with the news and cut to the chase to bring you two huge new gift sets timed perfectly for this summer's Bat-mania. What will earn you more geek cred:... More...
May 07, 2008:
Juno's crazy twin sister! ![]()
More...
March 30, 2008:
Trailer & Poster review ![]()
More...
December 06, 2007:
Ellen Page on Juno: The RT Interview
Canadian actress Ellen Page is an anomaly in Hollywood. The star of this week's Juno has been in movies since the age of 10, has the face of a 14-year-old and the pop... More...
More DVDs
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 95% 95% | Star Trek |
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 83% 83% | Harry Potter and the H… |
| 67% 67% | Public Enemies |
| 75% 75% | Julie & Julia |
| 95% 95% | The Cove |
| 85% 85% | World's Greatest Dad |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- The Tracey Fragments at Rotten Tomatoes
- The Tracey Fragments at IGN
Fresh Links
Featured

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.





