Having just watched Deepa Mehta's intriguing study of contemporary Indian housewives in Fire, I was inadvertently prepped for Zack Winestine's disquieting treatment of a dissatisfied Manhattan woman, who goes to extremes to thrust meaning back into her life in States of Control. The two make an interesting pairing, but Winestine's challenging film resonates at far deeper intellectual levels than Mehta's cultural portrait. His protagonist is prepared to literally blow up her superficial existence before returning to her natural roots rather than merely wander off in passive-aggressive rebellion.

Saddled with an impotent husband Abel (Stephen Bogardus) and a boring secretarial job at an Off-Broadway theater, Lisa (Jennifer van Dyck) risks falling into a empty, sterile regimen. Her husband can satisfy neither her sexual nor intellectual needs. They never go out, and she tolerates his banal quips about his meat-eating caveman roots, his lame and pointless jokes, and his habitual grading of pretentious student essays. She tries her hand at writing an autobiographical novel, but the most interesting portions consist of cloud gazing (giving cinematographer Susan Starr a glorious opportunity to capture some great footage). The billowing overhead clouds reflect her repressed turbulence.

Lisa could easily slip into the same typical anonymous hum-drum existence that most endure; however, cynical theater director Paul (John Cunningham) arrives and shakes her into action. He doesn't give a shit what the playwright, actors, or public thinks; he's going his own unconventional direction and doing things his way. Flattering Lisa as the only intelligent person in the theatrical company, he entices her to join him for dinner at an Indian restaurant. She samples spicy curried dishes for the first time and that's only a sample of what is to come. Before long, he sparks her curiosity about pornography and introduces political extremism when they walk near an infamous former Village headquarters of the Weather Underground.

Soon Lisa begins experiments on herself, beginning with sleep deprivation to "sharpen" her senses and testing an electrical socket on her finger. She moves on to sample pornography (on video and during a live photo shoot) and even attempts an illicit sexual encounter with Paul, but discovers that these sexual escapades is little more than another facet of empty ennui. Sexual liberation just doesn't cut it for Lisa; she's much more inspired by the likes of iconoclastic Leni Reifenstahl, whose visual artistry in The Holy Mountain (referenced in photographs here) parallels Lisa's fascination with the striking clouds over Manhattan. Reifenstahl also determined her own fate in a male dominated Nazi state, achieving the type of control that appeals to Lisa.

Melting down the floppy disk containing the past remnants of her banal autobiography, Lisa decides to radically alter her lifestyle. Acting impulsively becomes her mantra. Lisa's final extreme act is tempered with a humorous encounter with knife wielding thugs on the subway; the muggers quickly re-evaluate the situation in light of her strength. As she wordlessly stakes out the next stage of her life, Winestine fleshes out his provocative portrait of an unforgettable woman who decides that the mundane world of being a dutiful wife, a responsible worker, and shopping for continually upgraded widgets just isn't for her.

Although some may view States of Control in political terms, it works best as a character study, primarily due to van Dyck's fine acting. Strongly scripted, Lisa communicates far more through her actions and emotional reactions than she does with dialog. Her understated frustrations become understandable as she meanders through an often illogical minefield. Seen objectively without van Dyck's intimate context, we'd think her character is totally wacko at times; however, she creates such a strong sympathetic presence that her actions do make sense. Some will find it difficult to relate to her "final solution," but this can work better when not taking these actions literally.

Zack Winestine's film won't appeal to everyone, as evidenced by the fact that it's taken nearly 9 years to find its way to DVD release in the U.S. It's an indie gem from the late 1990's that deserves a wider viewing audience. Comparisons to the Unabomber are inevitable, but the footage was completed before Ted Kaczynski was captured. And no one can blame Winestine for inspiring Kaczynski; he never saw the film. But open minded viewers who appreciate non-formula films should.