By Gordon Durich
A fetching new short musical comedy film, Catalogue of Noses with a bonus Fiddler on the Roof parody, is a hooter. It follows a Jewish teen actor who faces off with her mother and plastic surgeon before her nose job, only to discover uncomfortable truths about assimilation. The story by former child actor Lauren Schaffel was inspired by real events of stigma of appearance and acceptance. She portrays adult Emily in the film and is one of Catalogue of Noses’ producers, alongside David M. Night Maire.
This dark yet breezy comedy features a top cast, including Lori Alan, known for TV’s SpongeBob Square Pants and playing Deborah in Nobody Wants This and Michael Kostroff, from HBO’s legendary series The Wire and one of the original cast members of The Producers touring the US and Les Miserables. He stars as Dr. Pearlman.
Anyone who loves musicals and comedy will lap up the L.A.-set romp, with original- and outrageous- songs. “I love them all,” said Lauren.
Selected for film festivals, and special screenings including Santa Cruz Jewish Film Festival, Big Apple Film Festival, the Holocaust Museum L.A. and La Cine Network: projection de courts-metrages, in Paris this year, Catalogue of Noses was directed by Josie Andrews. Both Lauren Schaffel and Andrews emphasize the story is important due to the rise in anti-Semitism and the sacrifices Jews have made to aesthetically assimilate into western, as in American culture.
Catalogue of Noses makes its L.A. Festival premiere at the Oscar-qualifying LA Shorts this Sunday July 20, at 7:15 pm, Regal LA Live.
