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How entertaining? ★★☆☆☆
Thought provoking? ★☆☆☆☆ 2 September 2016
A movie review of THE GREASY STRANGLER. |
“Why not put a little grease in your java?” Big Ronnie (Michael St. Michaels)
A puerile idea, which might have provided mild distraction as a short film, has so little to it that 93 minutes feels interminable. Having exaggerated performances and gross caricatures, sans charm, shows how hard it is to get a WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS or a GENTLEMEN BRONCOS right. Those who are fans of Monty Python might not be so vocal if the sketches had been elongated to movie-length. Even the supporting players and walk on parts are peopled by unfunny O.T.T. weirdos. If this were a social commentary, on post-industrial economically inert towns, would you take offence?
A puerile idea, which might have provided mild distraction as a short film, has so little to it that 93 minutes feels interminable. Having exaggerated performances and gross caricatures, sans charm, shows how hard it is to get a WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS or a GENTLEMEN BRONCOS right. Those who are fans of Monty Python might not be so vocal if the sketches had been elongated to movie-length. Even the supporting players and walk on parts are peopled by unfunny O.T.T. weirdos. If this were a social commentary, on post-industrial economically inert towns, would you take offence?
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Bullying, obnoxious father, Big Ronnie, has allowed his son, Big Brayden (Sky Elobar), to live with him, but treats him as a servant. Constantly requesting for extra grease in the meals cooked for him, in the evening Ronnie secretly covers his naked form in more grease and haunts the area as the local serial killer. There is full-frontal male nudity, but appendages are exaggerated, both large and small, for supposed comedy effect – though, they are obviously substandard prosthetics, one is unclear where the humour is meant to originate? Perhaps THE GREAY STRANGLER is aimed at the after pub Friday night crowd, when intoxication lowers mental faculties?
There is an attempt at creating a catchphrase, as parent and offspring chuck “bullsh*t artist” at one another after relaying an observation or anecdote. It gets wearying rapidly. Hammering home the inanity, Big Ronnie has the propensity to shout all his dialogue. All his sentences end with an exclamation mark. There are few cinematic examples of such declaiming being amusing, e.g. Frau Farbissina (Mindy Sterling) from AUSTIN POWERS.
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During the day Big Ronnie and Big Brayden run a shambolic disco walking tour of their neighbourhood, making up factoids that are clearly untrue to unsatisfied customers. As this mind-numbing omnishambles proceeds, play a game to see if you can fathom an allegory to pass the time. Maybe the disco walking tour is a metaphor for our supposed post-truth era? One patron, Janet (Elizabeth De Razzo), takes a shine to Big Brayden, who feels the same way. A sad love story ensues, hampered by Big Ronnie’s jealousy.
Practically everything about THE GREASY STRANGLER is annoyingly try-hard extreme. Is it really necessary for Big Ronnie to take a trip to a club in a crotchless onesie? Big Brayden writes fiction, such as ‘I’m in Love with a Space Duck’ and ‘Rasta Revenge’. The layering of crassness is almost admirable. Almost.
(Is it just me or does Big Brayden remind of Will Ferrell?)
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