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Reviews
On the Road with Judas (2007)
one of the best films i've ever seen
This played Sundance I think last year. It's crazy. It's like a not-at-all creepy David Lynch. It's very hard to explain. But you have a writer of an autobiographical book, and the book is being adapted into a movie. The film follows the author, the actor playing the author, the filmmaker making the movie, and also the author of the REAL book/actual director of the movie, JJ Lask.
If you think Charlie Kaufman is meta, then you haven't even scratched the surface of On The Road With Judas. There are some of my favorite actors in the film too - Kevin Corrigan, Aaron Ruell (from Napoleon Dynamite), and that guy from American Pie Eddie Kaye Thomas is in it too. It's a real mindfuck of a movie - it's kind of like the movie version of a really hard sudoku problem, but really rewarding when it all comes together.
And unlike a lot of other films that are about themselves - it never sacrifices human emotion for the sake of it's cleverness. At it's very core is an honest love story, that is very well drawn.
In Memory of My Father (2005)
Saw this w/ 3 other films --- LOVED it the most.
This was the shocker of the series in terms of why-haven't-i-ever-heard-of-this-film. Jeremy Sisto plays the lead; it's shot in a very Dogme 95 way - it's a very emotionally complex drama where a family is bribed to document their father's death on camera. Pat Healy, the guy from Great World Of Sound, he's in it too. And as painful as this sort of subject matter is; it's handled with real humor, and sincerity. In the Q+A the director said that all the actors lived in the actual location that they shot in, and for 7 straight days they made this film. Many times the actors are the ones holding the cameras.
Belle and Sebastian (who I'm a huge fan of) did the soundtrack (!!!), and it's really legit. It's definitely low budget, and you could really easily compare the film to Rachel Getting Married. It has that uncomfortableness and crazyness that really hits you. And it's not just a bunch of people sitting around talking - there's a real story that develops. I actually liked this film way more than Rachel - in another world Jeremy Sisto would get an Oscar nomination for his performance. It's raw and painful and pitch perfect.
Box Elder (2008)
Saw this flick when it was touring around the mid-west - am very glad I went
The guy that is heading up this tour, this is a film he made, when he was in college, for less than 70 grand. It's really honest, kind of like a Kicking and Screaming for the mumble-core generation. but A LOT funnier. As funny as Swingers, and close content-wise too. Like Swingers in college sort of. While the film definitely has it's ups and downs, the real reason to see it is for a performance by someone who I can easily see being the next Bill Murray. This actor's name is Alexander Rennie, and mark my words, this guy is the real deal.
The film has a ton of improv in it, and he is just so quick and deadpan and pretty much steals the show. There's this one scene at a Halloween party where he's so drunk he starts drinking a lit candle - it's absolutely hilarious.
All in all, it's a simple college take of four guy friends, going through their senior year, and trying to figure out what to do with their lives. It's not super dramatic or super sappy, but really just an honest portrait of the director and his real life friends. If you're a fan of films like Funny Ha Ha or Hannah Takes The Stairs, it's well worth checking out. This is way funnier than those films though.
RSO: Registered Sex Offender (2008)
Loved this - great q & a with the actors and director after too!
Yes, Andrew Bujalski is in the film. Yes, it's shot with a hand-held naturalistic camera. Yes, it has a true-to-life acting that feels improvised. But this is not your average mumble-core movie (whatever that is). This is something altogether different.
"I just like boning my sister. What can I say. She's hot."
This is the kind of humor that permeates throughout RSO, which I saw last night at sxsw. It's so modest in it's presentation that the fact you are laughing almost feels accidental. Nobody's trying to make you laugh, it's just funny.
It's so hard to describe this type of movie. It's scrappy. It's raw. The whole thing is shot on hand-held HD. It's hard to compare this to any other film, simply because most films made on this scale simply aren't as funny as this one. Take the dialog and wit from Welcome to the Dollhouse, the quickness of Waiting for Guffman, add a pinch of Heathers, and combine the aesthetic of Funny Ha Ha with The Office, and you almost have an idea of what this film is.
Here's a scene. A group of sex offenders are all gathered in a room. To finally learn the err of their ways. To figure out how to move on with their lives. To bond. You've got Kevin Corrigan playing the group counselor. Sounds pretty heavy-- turns out to be some of the most funny material in the whole film.
But there's more to it as well. As the humor unfolds at pretty rapid pace, there's something deeper going on as well. While watching a very ordinary-on-the-surface slice-of-life portrayal of one young sex offender, there's a whole F You aspect to the movie at the same time.
Here's why:
Nobody would ever think to take this character, and make him the main character of a movie. He's like that dude that crashed your party last summer, drank all your beer, and refused to leave. But he's not "the bad guy who you end up loving"... you pretty much remain mildly sympathetic to his condition. And yet -F YOU- you can't tear your eyes off him. The core relationship in this movie is impossible. This nameless sex offender is with the most smoking hot way-too-young-looking-girlfriend. The girl in this movie, by the way, is destined for the cover of Maxim. But you're watching an obvious train wreck, two people who should have NEVER even met in the first place. And as you're thinking "Why is she with this jackass", -F YOU- the film makes you remember the number of girls that you wish you could have dated, but didn't, because they were with this guy. It's more truthful than it could ever be.
The film throws traditional narrative in your face. Some scenes are comprised of reality TV show like "testimonials." Some scenes it feels like the characters are aware of the presence of the camera, and are hamming it up. And other scenes, they just play out naturally (some almost voyeuristically). The film doesn't care about the rules and doesn't concern itself with trying to make you like it. But -F YOU- because of this you can't help but be sucked in by it all. And at the same time, as low budget and scrappy as this is... and how the whole movie feels somewhat "accidental" in a way... You can tell a whole lot of thought went into it. That's what separates RSO from all mumble-core movies. I've seen a few of them, and they seem interested primarily just in capturing real emotions and simply stringing them together. With RSO, despite the limitations with budget, they are taking this way further. There are real ideas behind it, and it oddly enough does force you to think about what you're watching. But more importantly, unlike all those other films, it's actually got pacing. Despite a strong narrative, the film moves quickly, keeps you laughing, and simply entertains and delivers, without making you sit through a bunch of mopey crap.
I'd really love to track down this filmmakers previous films; he's got several on his IMDb, and I'd even more like to see what he'd do with a budget. At the same time, there's something kind of awesome about how raw this film is, and the fact that I was one of the 100 people that will probably see it. It's kind of like when you hear a band you really like, you almost don't want them to get famous. It's more special and it feels like that band is making music Just For You. Well with RSO, the filmmakers made this film Just For Me.
What are the negatives? If you like polished film-making, don't go see it. If you're looking to go to a movie with your mom, don't go see it. If you think that being a sex offender is something that you're morally opposed to laughing at, DEFINITELY don't see it. But if watching some dude talking to his therapist about "face boning" his giant teddy bear, if that sounds like a good night out the movies to you.... I think it's playing a few more times at the fest and it's worth seeing. If not, I hope it'll come out-- it's definitely a cult -get-together- with-your-friends-and-watch-it-on-a-Saturday-night- kind of film.
But again, writing this review, that's just me saying "I heard them first."
The Baxter (2005)
Haven't been impressed with a romantic comedy in a while...
Until I watched the The Baxter. This is simply the funniest movie i've seen since Punch Drunk Love. A complete comedic masterpiece. This genre defying film abuses abusrdism and misdirection to great comedic lengths and never fails to win you over. Showalter plays a subtle and nuanced Elliot, whose mannerisms crack you up much like Barry Eagan's in PT Anderson's Punch Drunk Love. Most of The State and the returning cast from Wet Hot American Summer are present, and invaluable in their roles. Micheal Ian Black, David Wain, and Paul Rudd provide most of the laugh out loud moments, where as Michelle Williams and Justin Theroux keep a non-stop smirk on your face with their fully developed quirky characters. Showalter works in a similar fashion, and all together this becomes one of the most original and enjoyable films you'll see in a long time. Strongly Recommended for fans of The State, Stella, Wet Hot American Summer, Punch Drunk Love, Rushmore, etc.