EIFF: 19/06/10
Barry Munday
Stephen Says:
I didn’t know what to expect from this comedy other than what I had read in the synopsis. The premise is basically Knocked Up with some added testicular amputation. Patrick Wilson’s titular Barry is a serial perv who lacks any direction in his life. After his womanising ways get him into an unfortunate accident/assault with a trumpet, he has to have his testes amputated. On his first day back at work, he receives a letter informing him he has an unborn child with a woman he can’t remember ever even meeting.
What plays out from their is a fairly conventional screwball comedy, the two lead characters playing their opposing traits well off each other. However, despite the conventional plot structure and characterisation, there is a surrealism to the comedy and an indie sensibility to the direction that keeps this from being just another romcom. Also impressive is the way the laughs keep coming all the way until the final act, a feat which the Apatow comedies are often unable to manage, becoming schlocky and sentimental.
Patrick Wilson also emerges as a talented physical comic actor, using his body to elicit most of the laughs while his face delivers just enough to make you continue caring about his altogether reprehensible character. With some good supporting turns from Chloe Sevigny, Billy Dee Williams, Malcolm McDowell and Cybill Shepherd, this film should prove popular on release with those looking for a comedy with a little more depth than Seth Rogen can handle.
Pat says:
Patrick Wilson has played some interesting, ballsy roles in recent years and he continues that run in Barry Munday. From paedophilia in Hard Candy to adultery in Little Children (we’ll discount the superhero romp in Watchmen), Wilson has combed the landscape of sexual politics. With Barry’s uncontrollable sex drive and the subsequent removal of his testicles, Wilson continues the pattern in this superior comedy and displays a surprising knack for comic acting. The brilliance of the performance is borne out of the ability to squeeze laughs out of every mannerism and physical move of Munday, particularly after the aforementioned operation. With the notable comic connection between Wilson and the impregnated female lead (Judy Greer) allied to surprising turns from Malcolm McDowell and Billy Dee Williams, the film maintains its momentum throughout. Each time the inevitable spectre of sentimentality threatens to derail the film in the final act, director Chris D’Arienzo throws a curveball like the absolutely hilarious genital defect support group meeting. A breath of fresh air in a comic landscape dominated by the Apatow stable, Barry Munday takes a premise that could have easily gone awry and makes it work.
You can see Barry Munday at the Edinburgh International Film Festival on June 21st at 21:35, Cineworld and June 22nd at 21.45, Cineworld.
Monsters
Pat:
When In Search of a Midnight Kiss was screened at the Edinburgh Film Festival three years ago, I can attest that it had a profound effect on much of the audience there. I was amazed by the performance of the central couple, the use of location as character (LA) and the emotional resonance of a simple, low-budget script. Following that screening, Observer columnist Jason Solomons was so impressed that he supported the film and helped it get distribution in the UK. Visual effects man Gareth Edwards decided to nab the male lead Scoot McNairy and transpose many of the film’s themes and feel to a monster sci-fi set in Central America.
Andrew Kaulder (McNairy) needs to escort Samantha Wynden (Whitney Able) back to the US through the ‘infected zone’, an area inhabited by ‘creatures’ which can at best be described as giant octopi. As the couple struggle to get back over ‘the wall’, their relationship develops and the film usurps audience expectations by revealing itself as a love story. The film’s special effects, incredibly impressive given the probable budget, are all created after shooting and exist to supplement the wholly believable central relationship developing. An offscreen couple, McNairy and Able blatantly have chemistry together and this gives the film added authenticity, vital to the film’s on-the-hop style. Edwards cleverly aqueezes as much dramatic potential as he can from the unstable surroundings of Mexico and Guatemala at the time and manages to create a film that stands up to its Hollywood forebears. Monsters has the feel of a cult classic, and with a marketing campaign akin to say, District 9, it could achieve such status. Not only would such an outcome be a victory for Edwards, but also the criminally underrated film that inspired it.
R
Pat:
Thematically and stylistically similar to Un Prophete, R is a Danish prison drama notable for its gritty realism and fine performances. Like Audiard’s critically-acclaimed work, the plot follows an imprisoned young man (Rune) who is forced to undertake a nasty act of violence before being taken in by the powerful gang on the inside. Manipulated by the gang leaders, Rune follows orders meekly before discovering a way in which he can gain power and respect among his fellow prisoners. However, his elevated status has consequences and the claustrophobic racial tensions of the prison reach boiling point.
R is an effective prison drama, the violence realistically effective and the central storyline darkly exciting. However, the film suffers from the unfortunate, inevitable comparisons with Un Prophete, directors Tobias Lindholm and Nicholas Noer lacking the array of tricks which Jacques Audiard employs to turn his prison epic into a masterpiece. Still, it’s a valiant effort and is a perfectly watchable addition to the genre.
Stephen says:
The only thing I have to add to Pat’s comments is about the soundtrack. The shocking, grim action on screen is matched perfectly by the music. Made up of big, reverby blocks of grinding sound, it is one of the most complementary soundtracks I’ve heard in a long time, perfectly reinforcing the action.
Thanks guys, iam looking forward to seeing this next week.
Really enjoyed Barry Munday, Its what a romantic comedy should be. Made all the better with a Q/A by Patrick Wilson. Very humorous man. Very attractive man aswell.