Sometimes, Pain can be very Funny, Ha Ha

I ventured out into the realm of the REALLY Independent Film world this weekend and caught FUNNY HA HA - a movie made in 2002 on like nothing, which has been making its way around festivals for the last 3 years and is finally receiving 'major' release through the wonderful Landmark Theatres (amongst others). It is raw, it is directionless and it is painful... in short, it is everything I love about independent film and a movie that deserves every single dollar it scrapes up (which I suspect will not be too much).

The movie follows Marnie, a recent college grad, as she negotiates the wonderful world of being a jobless and single adult. That's right, it's everyone's 23rd year caught on film, in all it's excruciating glory. Think the answering machine sequence with Nikki in SWINGERS, and then take that social ineptitude and fill a whole movie with it. The film is heavily influenced by SLACKER, but with a far more cohesive storyline. It draws heavily from the moodiness of Todd Solondz (Welcome to the Dollhouse, Happiness) but with less actual thought.

It is, without a doubt, FUNNY. I laughed very loudly, many of the times it was out of discomfort from the characters complete lack of tact or ability to communicate with eachother. The ending is, and I will warn you outright so you are non disappointed, very sudden and unresolved. Like SLACKER it feels as if they either ran out of a) money or b) ideas and just stopped shooting. It needed just about 1 more minute of dialogue to make its point (even if its point was the unresolvability of her life - that still needed to be shown - think the end of KICKING AND SCREAMING - will he go to Prague?) I recommend this movie for feeling sorry for yourself (atleast you're better off than these characters) , and getting off your ass to do some creative work of your own. B+


Incidentally, I took part in another cultural phenomenon over the weekend as well, as I watched my wife read the entirety of the new Harry Potter book in one day. She says it's good. I don't read books so I cannot venture an opinion. But I am anxiously awaiting the fourth movie this fall.