Frank has a sudden implosion when he loses his job, his young daughter doesn't want to visit him, and he is diagnosed with a terminal tumour. He finds himself alone, depressed with the world around him, and sat in front of a television showing a 16 year old girl having a hissy fit because her father bought her the wrong sports car. It is then that he decides to embark on his cleansing mission, starting with the 16 year old girl on his TV screen. He sets off across country to kill her, upon which time he stumbles across another 16 year old by the name of Roxy (the excellent Tara Lynne Barr), who sees what he is doing, shares the majority of his opinions, and wants to become the Robin to his Batman. Frank's initial plan is to kill the 16 year old from the TV show, then to take his own life. Roxy persuades him that there are more people out there that deserve to be killed, and that by killing himself he would be killing the wrong person. So it is, they set off on the task in hand - to rid America of those who exploit others, those that give celebrity status to those with minimal talent, to those that have an unfounded sense of entitlement, to those that bully the less fortunate, to those that are just simply rude and not very pleasant.
 |
| Frank doing his best Kurt Cobain impression *Note: Courtney Love just out of shot |
I picked up this DVD with thoughts of Bonnie & Clyde, Kick Ass, Hobo With a Shotgun and Natural Born Killers in mind. Whilst not outright copying any of the aforementioned films, it does borrow from each one of them at times. The partners in crime, cross country murder spree echoes Bonnie & Clyde and Natural Born Killers. The everyman cleaning up society by any means necessary screams Hobo With a Shotgun, whilst the foul mouthed teenage girl showing no remorse in merciless killings is easily relatable to Kick Ass' Hit Girl. All of these aspects blend together to form a snappy, witty, informative, satirical look at what today's world has become.
 |
| The McDonalds' drive-thru forgot her extra fries |
God Bless America is by no means just a movie with a lot of bloodshed, although the blood is free flowing. The film has a very dry, dark underbelly to it. It points the finger firmly at what modern society has become; the fact that it is near impossible to have a conversation with somebody without it being interrupted by a text message, that it is unheard of to visit the cinema without your viewing experience being disturbed by others, the fact that children throw a temper tantrum because they've been bought a Blackberry instead of an iPhone. The film highlights the problems incurred when society allows a show such as The X Factor to be it's moral compass, to give an example of what is acceptable and appropriate in today's world. Frank and Roxy set out to write the wrongs of the new generation, a generation that seemingly lacks accountability for it's actions. The film also highlights the hate mongering caused by the likes of propaganda feeding talk shows and Fred Phelps style cults.
 |
| Not quite the duet that The X Factor expected |
The film flies along at a rapid pace, lasting approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes. Frank is established on edge from the get go, and Roxy comes along to justify his actions. She's his cheerleader, urging him to go through with his deepest desires, begging him to let her assist him. They strike up a kinship, with Frank becoming an almost fatherly figure during some of the more tender moments of the film. Golthwait manages to find tenderness in the horrific and brutal events of the film, yet still doesn't detract from the overall tone. The frantic, hate fueled first act slows down towards the middle of the film, fleshing out the relationship between it's two leads, before then flying full force into it's final act. The chemistry of the main characters is undeniable, with the smart, observational-yet-accurate dialogue helping the film flow fantastically. Add to this an expertly pieced together soundtrack featuring the likes of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Kinks, Betty Hutton, and Alice Cooper, and the mood is set perfectly for what is a true blast of a ride.
I can't recommend this film enough, and it could be the hidden gem of the year so far. Whatever side of the fence you're on, you won't be able to deny the points made in the film. Society is eating itself, ridiculing itself, hating itself. Frank is a vessel for Bobcat Goldthwait, and surely a generation of others, to vent their feelings on the vitriol that is spewed from televisions sets, the need to put people on a pedestal for no reason, the need to live up to a supposed image, the act of being rude because you don't know any better. Goldthwait conjures up a fantastic, satirical piece of work that shows what we have become and what we are doing to ourselves. Whilst the likes of The Dark Knight Rises and The Avengers might take the big box offices this year, receive the big promotional pushes and garner mass audiences around the globe, I urge you to give this film a chance; you won't be disappointed. I give God Bless America a fully flushed out 5 out of 5.
No comments:
Post a Comment