"Objectified"

By David Hudson on 05/08/2009

"Now that the geeks have inherited the earth, 'Objectified' examines their ethos and process for remaking it through industrial design, and whether the profit motive usurps their frequently cited motivations of simplicity and efficiency," writes Bill Weber in Slant. "Through a chorus of design pioneers, CEOs, consultants, and critics, director Gary Hustwit, trying to corner the nerdumentary market in following up his font film 'Helvetica,' finds the visionary quality in his talking heads via anecdotes that recount a-ha moments (like the texture of a peeled potato inspiring the palm-friendly shape of a mobile phone) to a brainstorming sesssion on new prototypes for toothbrushes (why not permanent handles with replaceable heads?)."

In the Voice, Aaron Hillis notes that this is the "second film of a proposed nerd-porn trilogy, a slickly entertaining and thorough enough curiosity about the form, function, context, inspiration, and evolution of industrial design."

"The biggest challenge to a field that has traditionally served the industrial goal of planned obsolescence, according to the movie, is a growing awareness that the world is being overrun by trash; sooner or later most of today's well-designed products will end up in landfills." Stephen Holden in the New York Times: "There is a need for 'sustainability,' for products that will 'wear in' rather than 'wear out.' But old habits - especially highly profitable ones - die hard."

"Many of the movie's subjects are well known in the design world," notes Salon's Stephanie Zacharek. "[T]hey include Dieter Rams, formerly one of the chief designers for Braun, and Jonathan Ive, of Apple. Those people may not exactly be household names among us mere mortals. But as 'Objectified' makes clear, they've made their presence, if not their names, known in our households, and hearing them talk about what they do puts everyday objects into fresh perspective."

Bob Turnbull: "Actually, it's less about the objects themselves than simply the concept of design - what does design accomplish, what should design be accomplishing and when should we even be doing it? In comparison to 'Helvetica,' the questions are bigger, the ideas are grander and the discussions provide much more to chew on. It's just not as entertaining."

"While intriguing ideas surface here and there - the digital era design's shift from tangible mechanical objects to intangible data, for instance - 'Objectified' glides from one notion to the next without digging too deeply into anything or even finding much continuity between one interview and the next," writes Keith Phipps at the AV Club. "Topics that might sustain entire films recede into to the background just as they get interesting. 'Objectified' feels Twitterized."

"[F]or all its intriguing observations, the documentary struggles to develop a strong argument about its subject, or to demonstrate the hidden cultural power of design in such a way as to make the subject compelling to those without a prior interest," writes Ben Walters in Time Out New York. "It sure has some pretty things in it, though."

"The biggest problem with Hustwit's resolutely uniform aesthetic is that the most ridiculous musings, not the most insightful, are the ones that stay with you," writes Benjamin Mercer in the L Magazine. "Nonetheless, 'Objectified' provides some stimulating, if rather repetitive, discussion on the significance of everyday objects and their ability to tell stories -- about themselves and those who possess them."

"Why can't high school or college classes be this stimulating and fun?" wonders Michael Tully at Hammer to Nail. "Gary Hustwit doesn't make films to merely entertain, and he doesn't make them to simply educate either. He's here to ask questions about the world in which we live, and in turn inspire us to think more creatively and clearly. He's found his very own special niche."

Earlier: Reviews from SXSW.

[Photo: "Objectified," Plexi Productions, 2009]

Tags: Gary Hustwit, Helvetica, Objectified