Miserable
Comforters (2001)
I don't know what to say about this film. What can
be said? For one thing, it takes on religion in a comedy
and that is a cheap shot as far as I'm concerned. On
the other hand, it makes a pretty valid and important
point about do-gooding that is surely needed by the
Christian faith right now. Still, it's intended target
is an easy target. Too easy.
The film concerns Barb, a young Christian woman who
is also a film student. Barb, in a move that is obviously
misguided from the outset, takes a documentary film
crew out to LA in hopes of finding a homeless person,
a story, so that she may help turn their life around
and film the transformation in the process. A set-up
fraught with obvious problems.
Barb and her crew pick a young couple with a baby
who don't really want to participate but are thankful
for some food and a hand. The crew even help the couple
get their car fixed, feed them and help them look for
job leads by getting on the Internet. But the crew also
films the couple in secret and catch them in apparent
drug deals and prostitution situations. Eventually,
Barb's do-gooder notions have her calling Child Protective
Services when the couple refuses her offer of becoming
members of her church group thingie.
Filmed as a documentary, I honestly could not tell
if this film were real or a mockumentary for quite a
while. Eventually, it becomes so obvious that we are
watching a phoney movie because Barb is just way to
idiotic and over- the-top to be true. The real problem
is that her crew continues to film her in situations
that really make her look bad. It's impossible to believe
that anyone but the self- absorbed Barb would retain
this footage if it were real, so it is obviously fake.
You have to give it to director Jonathan Schaech (AKA
Mr. Christina Applegate). He really has us going for
a bit.
Eventually "Miserable Comforters" stretches into the
realm of the unbelievable with a minister easily explaining
away the apparent prostitution and giving reason for
drug usage and such. It's too obvious and too well done
to be real.
I can't tell you exactly why I didn't like this film.
One thing for sure is the fake documentary film within
a film thing. That device is as tired as a man with
two cocks in a whorehouse. What was worse though was
that it felt like I was constantly being manipulated.
It felt like they were trying to make fun of people
who were kind-hearted but misguided. It wasn't funny
or poignant or surprising. It all seemed like a mean-spirited
jab at charity. Who wants to see something like that
but the most black-hearted person imaginable? Who would
make such a film but a person with that same blackened
heart?
Note:
Ms. Applegate is thanked in the end credits.
This Film Reviewed
from the 2001 Austin Film festival!
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Report
Card
Script:
D-
Acting: B
Cinematography\Lighting: C
Special Effects\Make Up: C
Music: F
Final
Grade: D
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