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MOVIE REVIEW - SVEENER and THE SHMIELJarring: Sveener and the Shmiel The Jam: David B. Sharp's Sveener and the Shmiel
Take eighty minutes of dramedy. Mix with eccentric characters and stir in over one hundred and thirty special effects. Strain for skepticism. Sprinkle with whole doll limbs and psychedelic flashbacks. Serve with beer and cocopuffs. Tastes a Lot Like: Jam that got fed-exed from your crazy ex-acid-freak aunt in South Dakota. There is no telling what it is made of, in fact it kind of weirds you out, but it hits the spot. A couple weeks after my interview with Saint Motel was published, I was contacted to come review a film featuring the boys' music. The film was David B. Sharp's long-awaited directorial debut, Sveener and the Shmiel. After watching the trailer, I really had no idea what to expect besides a very visually compelling feature. I mean, Sharp is an Emmy-award winning special effects artist. But as I sat in the Cary Grant theatre at Sony, I found a lot more to enjoy of the movie than its ridiculous amount of effects- which range from practical FX to miniature effects to digital EFX shots. The story revolves around two brothers; the elder is the chronically downtrodden, angry and subsequently violent Sveener (played by Aaron Sharp) whose main responsibility is taking care of his mentally deficient but genuine and lovable younger brother, the Shmiel (played by Gavin Woodward). Much of the back-story is left to the imagination but we do know they live in a decrepit home together, completely littered with everything you can imagine- particularly an unusual amount of mannequins and baby doll parts which the Shmiel takes comfort in gnawing on- and don't have jobs except finishing the rig they're building in their backyard and hanging out in their unders, drinking copious cans of beer. Most of the conflict of the movie comes from the entrances of two love interests. Traci (played by Christine Woods) is another not-so-bright Crayola with a heart of gold and an affinity for chicken who leaves Shmiel smitten from the moment she freaks out in the stuck elevator. Just as Shmiel finds an object of affection, the crude Sveener gets deservingly shot down by Helen (played Demitra Tsioulous)- an opportunity-seizing con-lady with a noted rack. We are taken down the road with them both; Sveener, increasingly bitter about the Shmiel's good fortune, gets swindled by the noxious minx Helen and delves into his inner psyche about his long running aggressive behavior. The Shmiel receives the love and acceptance he never got and is also able to reciprocate to a person in equal need of it- revealing an essential part of the human condition: the desire to love and to be loved. I was especially taken by the sweetness of Woods' performance. She was utterly winsome and earnest, melting my heart with nearly every poignantly childlike line. Her and Woodward's performances were fabulous because as we all learned in Tropic Thunder: Kirk Lazarus: Everybody knows you never go full retard. Tugg Speedman: What do you mean? Kirk Lazarus: Check it out. Dustin Hoffman, ‘Rain Man,' look retarded, act retarded, not retarded. Count toothpicks to your cards. Autistic, sure. Not retarded. You know Tom Hanks, ‘Forrest Gump.' Slow, yes. Retarded, maybe. Braces on his legs. But he charmed the pants off Nixon and won a ping-pong competition. That ain't retarded. Peter Sellers, "Being There." Infantile, yes. Retarded, no. You went full retard, man. Never go full retard. You don't buy that? Ask Sean Penn, 2001, "I Am Sam." Remember? Went full retard, went home empty handed… Yes, they were implied retards but still relatable and entirely endearing. The film as a whole is quite possibly one of the top five strangest movies I've ever seen. It had its confusing moments when the plot was slightly questionable but I was feeling something- either laughing or about to cry. And when I wasn't immersed in emotion, I was sideswiped with flare-ups of special effects. If you can sustain the suspension of disbelief, you can become enveloped in the heartfelt characters as well as the astounding optical exposition. And then you also can bop your pretty little head to tunes from Saint Motel and Glen and the Sunshine Gang. All in all, Sharp has effectively showcased his talents as a seasoned special effects artist while successfully branching into new territories all to a Silverlake-ish soundtrack. I say grab a j, your pals and blow your mind out on this trip of a flick. -end- To view full blog, please visit: http://marissaaross.wordpress.com/?p=350&preview=true Filed under: Film, Jarring: Reviews | Tags: Jarring, Review, saint motel, aaron sharp, sveener and the shmiel, david b. sharp, christine woods, gavin woodward, demitra tsioulos, glen and the sunshine gang |
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