Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with a look at previous Sundance flick, current SXSW flick, CHUMBSCRUBBER. I had to miss the screening in order to make sure I get into THE WENDELL BAKER STORY. Unfortunately, it only played the one time, so I won't be able to catch it later in the fest. Thankfully Mags here caught it and wrote in to tell what he thought of it. Enjoy!
Hello Harry and company! Hope you all are enjoying SXSW so far! I don't doubt it for a second, especially since you all have your platinum, gold-plated badges ready to get you in to anything. I, on the otherhand, am among the small percentage of sxsw attendees who do not have a badge, or even a pass - yes, a loser who pays for an individual ticket per film. However, I was fortunate enough to get in to THE CHUMSCRUBBER screening on Friday evening. And now, after not seeing any reviews for it, I feel obliged to let you know what i thought, if you care to use it.
I have a feeling many people will become very excited about this film simply because of the cast! It is stellar and first-rate! Jamie Bell, Glenn Close, Ralph Fiennes, Allison Janney, Rita Wilson, Carrie-Anne Moss. With this great cast, though, I can honestly only say the rest of the film was okay, a very drab okay.
The premise revolves around a suburban neighborhood, the famillies that live there, and the interaction that takes place within and outside of these families. Bell leads the cast in a story that paces rather awkwardly, but with themes that are very familiar and even overused. Think brooding teen angst, unaware parents, drug use, violence, so on and so forth all in the confines of sterile and white-washed suburban homes. It was hard not to think of other films with such simililarities; American Beauty, Edward Scissorhands, and even Donnie Darko.
There were just, for me, too many holes and many lingering questions at the end of this movie. The title is given an explanation, however I left the theater still scratching my head at it's relevance. Saddest part is that the cast, I thought, did not have much to work with. Many of the characters had underwritten parts. Some of the characters (namely Ralph Fiennes's) made no sense and many of the relationships didn't mesh well at all. Though there are a few funny lines and scenes, expect yet ANOTHER dramedy that takes a critical look into suburban life - a plot-line that I feel is tired and redundant in many new movies.
Better luck next time.
- Mags
