I recognise three things, that I personally enjoy this film. And the second is that it's pure rubbish. Third, I appreciate the topic. With a very cool concept and the topic of a creative struggle through filmmaking politics.
The soundtrack is gorgeous, supporting a vast array of silly characters. The story is kind of sweet, as is the progression of the hero - Kevin (Jordan Bridges) from naive screenwriter hopeful to disillusioned glorified secretary for the ignorant, yet powerful Hollywood executives.
It's funny in a restrained and cheeky cringe-worthy way. Mostly it’s just a bit of silly fun to watch. All of the characters (which could have been artful portraits, but were instead jokes,) you would ordinarily hate – there is something likeable about each one of them.
The ignorant boy scout is also a genuine, decent guy. Passionate about movies and maybe even an artist. And we like him more as he grows as a character. And this is the story’s hero, even the hero is both likeable and horrible.
The old agent lady is a bitter cynic and totally useless as a source of advancement. But she has a good heart. She’s also a liar.
The girl, Marianne (Marisa Coughlan), a producer wannabe and a man-user but she goes out of her way to try to help the boy scout, which in a small way redeems her.
Probably the truest line in the film, ‘You’d do more for your career in Hollywood by going out and schmoosing than staying home and working on your script.’
The chauffer is slick, and underneath all the bravado a truly noble character and a voice of reason. Creative and possibly the only non-plastic person in Hollywood. He considers himself a karmic Robin Hood. He is also one of the most manipulating forces in the system and still he can’t break through.
The bullying executive boss is a horrible little man, but we see him in a different light when he himself is bullied by his nemesis. The bullying just rolls downhill and seems to be the very foundation of the system.
Marianne and Kevin are a perfect match it seems. Both struggling to get noticed and negotiate the politics of working in the industry.
The two producers hate each other officially, they are both fairly despicable characters – but easy to sympathise with at the same time, because of the amount of shit they have to eat every day.
Trey (James Marsh – Brainscan) is excellent as one of the group of ‘elite’ assistants whom Kevin hangs out with to discuss scripts which they pretend they’ve read and talk about buzz – which they almost unwittingly create (with totally unqualified judgement.)
When a brilliant idea occurs to Kevin to invent a script and a screenwriter merely to fool his friends – the plan snowballs and the buzz gets out of control – in a similar situation to And She Was (with Kirstie Ally.)
Marianne is not entirely unlikable despite the fact that she consistently uses Kevin. I enjoy the consistent satire of the formulaic, or if you like manufacturing approach that Hollywood seems to have taken for the filmmaking process: Writers are cattle, producers are whores, nobody knows anything and films are chocolate bars and Burger King. Rather than gourmet pasta and handmade sorbet.
The producers are bullies – but they are also neurotic, anxious, helpless and suffering. In a way we feel for them as much as we despise them.
Marianne and Kevin make a great team once the buzz becomes real. Some of the scenes are emotionally tragic and jazzy – which is cool. The performances seem polished at times, quirky but melodramatic. However, this isn't as effective as it could be and the film isn’t artful.
It’s a nice parody of a grasp for success as moments of a life, in film.
2 stars
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