Festivals - Fantasia 2020 : The five rules of success World Premiere

By Mulder, 13 august 2020

Inspired by Sion Sono's Hazard, The five rules of success is a brightly saturated, phantasmagorical journey into the depths of Los Angeles's underbelly. Shot and written by Oblowitz, The five rules of success explores how racial violence, cyclical oppression, and a punitive justice system can keep a good man down. For X, life after prison only means facing off against a new set of inequalities; an abusive parole officer, stringent probation rules, and soul-crushing limits interfere with his entrepreneurial spirit and his spiritual health. As millions of people have taken to the streets to fight for their rights in the past few months, The five rules of success taps into the anger and uncertainty plaguing the American spirit. An absolutely vivacious portrait of the American dream that unveils the prejudices and cruelties inherent to a system that preaches rehabilitation, The five rules of success is an of-the-moment exploration of the country’s troubled soul.

Synopsis :
We are first introduced to X, an enterprising ex-con (a magnetic Santiago Segura from MTV's Scream), in an evocative tracking shot as he leaves prison after serving his time. With the odds stacked against him, X sets to rebuild his life against insurmountable odds. In his third feature, Orson Oblowitz (The Queen of Hollywood BLV uses the backdrop of a crime picture to inquire into the inequality of the American justice system within a corrupted social landscape. Visually and narratively expressive, the film draws us deeply into X's passage through purgatory in his quest for redemption.

The five rules of success
Written and Directed by Orson Oblowitz
Produced by Christian De Gallegos
Starring Isidora Goreshter, Roger Guenveur Smith, Jonathan Howard, Santiago Segura, Jon Sklaroff
Music by Daniel De Lara
Cinematography Orson Oblowitz
Edited by Jefferey Katz, Orson Oblowitz
Running time : 83mns

(Source : Fantasia 2020 official website)