July 24, 2009
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Cuddle Crew members are sexy.
First-time feature-length director Jared Drake's 2008 absurdist comedy Visioneers takes a bleakly humorous look at a downtrodden, Gilliam-esque universe, a world where increasingly unstable individuals, overwhelmed by the stress of daily life, explode without warning. Underrated funnyman Zach Galifianakis stars as the perpetually miserable and unfortunately monikered day jobber George Washington Winsterhammerman, a man who believes that he, too, is in grave danger of spontaneously blowing to smithereens. Jared, along with screenwriter Brandon Drake, have fashioned a cheerless and somber vision of the future, a landscape peppered with middle fingers, fuzzy teddy bears, and self-help obsessed housewives armed with shotguns and erotic butter. The outrageous nature of the material only manifests in one or two key scenes, the funniest of which involves a commercial for an 80's-inspired television program featuring a beefy vigilante who stops explosions before they happen. And while not all of the jokes work -- James LeGros' character, for example, is neither fully developed nor particularly interesting -- rising star Galifianakis' heartfelt performance helps ease us through the film's rougher pastures. It's not as touching or accomplished as Frank A. Cappello's unfairly ignored He Was a Quiet Man, mind you, but it's certainly a bright spot in an otherwise dreary cinematic year. I'm anxious to watch it again.
Recipe For Success: Brandon Drake's Intelligent Script + Zach Galifianakis + Dystopia Disguised As Utopia Mixed With Social Commentary
Surgeon General Warning: All self-help gurus are on the edge of a complete and total nervous breakdown.
Dr. Oz, your time is coming.
2 Spasms:
I actually found the brother played by James LeGros to be very interesting. I was expecting him to embrace the hippie following but that moment when he compares them to the people at Jeffers further developed his character.
Nice review. I think you were feeling like it was ok, but didnt quite work on all levels. That is how I felt as well. I will be checking out He Was a Quiet Man. Thanks.
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