AFI FILM FEST: WEEK 2

Listings and commentary for Week 2 of the American Film Institute Film Festival of Los Angeles, which runs through March 26:

SATURDAY

“Static” (U.S.A., 1986, 5:30 p.m.). “Static” is an eerie paean to non-conformity, made with a lovely visual sense and with two exceptional performances, by Keith Gordon and Amanda Plummer as best friends--and square pegs--in their tiny Arizona hometown. Plummer has come home abruptly from a tour with her rock band, while Gordon plays an inventor whose benign creation will change the course of our lives--as soon as others can see it. In his feature debut, director Mark Romanek underscores his dryly funny visuals with the burning urgency of Gordon’s mission in a haunting, briskly original film. Recommended.