Have you ever wanted to punch someone in the face for being obnoxious, rude, or just downright stupid? If so, you will probably like this movie. Frank (Joel Murray) is surrounded by idiots. His neighbors are unbelievably inconsiderate. His coworkers are incapable of holding a conversation about anything other than the latest celebrity gossip. When he turns on the television, all he sees is more stupidity and cruelty. Usually, Frank deals with that by fantasizing about killing all the terrible people in his life. When he learns that he is dying of cancer, he just can't take it anymore. So, he goes out and actually kills someone. His first victim is Chloe, a high school student from a reality TV show akin to My Super Sweet Sixteen, or any show that features spoiled rich kids who have done absolutely nothing to deserve that sort of attention. Frank shows up to Chloe's school, and shoots her, point blank. Frank originally intended to stop there, and kill himself before getting caught. However, Roxy (Tara Lynne Barr), another student at Chloe's school, witnesses the shooting, and convinces Frank to keep up the good work, and to let her tag along. Together, they set out to make the world, or at least the country, a better place, by ridding it of it's most abhorrent citizens.
Thinking back, it occurs to me that this movie requires a pretty significant suspension of disbelief. It's pretty unlikely that a middle aged man and a teenage girl going around shooting people point blank in broad daylight would go very long without getting caught. That said, I really enjoyed this for a couple of reasons. For one thing, it's lighthearted and funny; a good time at the movies. Underneath that, it's pointing out a lot of the things that are wrong with today's society. It takes shots at everything from the triviality of the things that the general population is concerned with to the lengths some people are willing to go to for their fifteen minutes of fame to the horrendous ways some people/groups are treated. At the beginning of the film, Frank eloquently explains his frustrations to a coworker in a monologue that includes the question, "Why do we have a civilization if we're no longer interested in being civilized?" Watching all the people Frank encounters on a daily basis, coupled with that monologue made me even more grateful for the people I have in my life. I understand that a lot of those characters are probably exaggerated for comic effect, but even so, I am glad that I have managed to surround myself with people who are not even a little bit like that. All of my friends are thoughtful, intelligent people who read for pleasure, enjoy a challenge, and are willing to work hard at the things they are passionate about. They inspire and challenge me, and I am a better person for knowing them. I am a lucky girl.
Coming up: lots of posts about the Paramount's Summer Classic Film Series. I have gotten to attend several double features in the last couple of weeks. While I have fallen hopelessly behind on my Netflix queue project, I just can't pass up the opportunity to catch these movies on the big screen.
No comments:
Post a Comment