[MOVIE REVIEW] God Bless America (2011)

GOD BLESS AMERICA – Bless it, indeed.

"Are you watching 'Idol' instead of reading this cool review?" (1)

“Shut the f**k up, you son of a b*tch. You’re getting on my nerves, dumb f**k.” How else can you begin a review to such a fantastic movie that is both entertaining and criticism cuisine at its best? Well, okay, you could start with shooting your opposite with your freshly bought AK-47 but hey, my name ain’t Frank, so I’m sticking to words while reviewing the movie which is –not really unpleasantly- titled “God Bless America”, directed by Bobcat Goldthwait ("Sleeping Dogs Lie"), starring Joel Murray, Tara Lynne Barr and running for about a hundred minutes. Rated R.
 

SYNOPSIS

Frank (Joel Murray) has had enough of the downward spiral of American culture.  Divorced, recently fired, and possibly terminally ill, Frank truly has nothing left to live for.  But instead of taking his own life, he buys a gun and decides to take out his frustration on the cruelest, stupidest, most intolerant people he can imagine -- starting with some particularly odious reality television stars.

Frank finds an unusual accomplice in a high-school student named Roxy (Tara Lynne Barr), who shares his sense of rage and disenfranchisement.  Together they embark on a nationwide assault on our country’s most irritating celebrities . . .

Written and Directed by taboo-busting filmmaker and comedian Bobcat Goldthwait (Shakes the Clown, Sleeping Dogs Lie, World’s Greatest Dad), GOD BLESS AMERICA is a truly dark and very funny comedy for anyone who’s had enough of the dumbing down of our society.

This is how Magnet Releasing, the company behind the movie, puts it. Now for the movie itself and as always, spoilers are ahead. Why? Because this is a review for f**k’s sake, you idiot. *Readying the Magnum 357.* ;) 

“God Bless America” (which now will be shortened to GBA for obvious reasons) is not your typical, or beware, everyday movie. And it most certainly isn’t a mainstream movie. Taking center-stage early on is Frank Murdoch, our leading character who is a middle-age working man who is like most of the normal population. He has an office job, noisy neighbors, a normal car and he hates modern reality TV. Okay, seeing that really lots of people like these kinds of reality TV shows, you might want to exclude that point for yourself. Then, he gets fired for “molesting” a female co-worker or more this is used against him because he is not part of the group, he doesn’t watch the shows the others do and therefore he doesn’t laugh about the boss’ jokes and so on, you get it. To make things even worse, his own daughter doesn’t want to see him anymore (he’s divorced) for the weekends and he is diagnosed with a deadly brain tumor. Thus is beginning an assault on every cliché a society has to offer. In this case, the American society. Being accompanied by high-school student Roxy on his dark trip, together they shoot what is getting on their nerves. 

First, I want to talk about the characters and their portrayal by the actors. Since this movie is mainly focusing only on our two “heroes”, these two will be the ones that I’ll get into detail the most. 

"You like Reality TV, well here's my answer for you." (2)

Frank, whom you can identify with very easily, is a man who has seen too much sh*t, nicely said. Reality TV can be the worst and wow, if you want to watch girls throw tampons at each other the whole day, well you should either watch porn or you’re gonna be brain-dead pretty soon.  So, who would scold Frank for being pissed when you hear your neighbors shouting racist to society-racist (is there any better word to put it, tell me) comments about what they learned while watching this sort of TV? Not me. And after seeing “American Superstarz” (yeah, if not “Idol”, what else?), he decided to shoot’em up (no movie reference intended). You know, all those that are just mean to others because they have enough money or else to justify it to themselves. Moral lesson #1: do not be mean to others when you’re rich. Or at all.

Joel Murray plays Frank as he did never play anyone/anything else. He is really getting one with the character and you as viewer can feel it the second he appears on screen. It is a powerful performance and is lacking nothing. 

"This is better than reading Orwell in school." (3)

Roxy is a high-school student and teenage girl who is also fed up with life as people’s dumb comments and reality TV as well make her the ultimate outsider to an otherwise enjoyable world. While her character is not nearly as perfectly written as Frank’s, it also got its perks. She is a growing-up girl who watches classics than reality TV, who hates High-Fives that are not imaginary-only and who just wants to have some vengeance fun on society. These are all characteristics you should have – when you want to shoot people out of these reasons. But her character comes around not as strong as Frank’s did – mainly because of the fact that she ran away from home to join forces with Frank while there apparently were TV ads running for her search. I mean, a dumb society aside, but wouldn’t somebody notice the striking resemblance of her movie theatre footage when seeing that ad afterwards? While that is not something distinct to her character, it undermines her authenticity in a serious way while she is also a little too ‘yeah, let’s do it”-like. (And the Lolita-part of hers wasn't really the brightest star of the movie but still enjoyable, not in a perverted way, of course.) But on the bright side, Roxy gives Frank some hope back to actually be able to change something in society and not just end up blowing his head off. And as bad as it sounds, this is actually a good reason if you consider our modern-day society in some way damaged as to how we look at fiction and reality problems. You cannot tell me that the obvious point of the movie is wrong – at least you can’t do if you think the new Smartphone out on the market is more important than for example an oil spill in the ocean. And the one man in the world recognizing the wrong-doing by demonstrating against the oil spill problem should shoot himself because you want a newer phone? Yes, I know, this is one harsh example but nevertheless it’s not that far-fetched as I’ve seen people being more emotional about what new phone they should buy than what they could do to support the environment or worrying about something else that is important to our life. Yes, even I have a Smartphone but what I’m talking about is the extension of such worrying and if that extension is misplaced or misdirected, then you have a problem. And that is the point the movie is playing to, most obvious in the scene where Frank was discussing habits of watching TV with his co-worker shortly before he was fired.

Tara Lynne Barr’s performance as Roxy was thrilling and close as to very good as Murray’s was but with a slight glitch: it can’t be felt as such as Murray shined in every minute and somewhat stole the show for Barr, pushing her to be second class throughout the film. Which she shouldn’t be looked at as she clearly isn’t. A second watch could certainly help here. 

Also, the interacting between them seemed joyful and therefore was very pleasing to watch. 

STORY OUTPLAY

Frank’s journey begins with him stealing the sports car of his neighbor and then shooting Chloe. So far, so good. Or bad, that is. He then is joined by Roxy and together they become a team when Frank’s gun is out of ammunition to kill Chloe’s mom and she comes in, grabbing a kitchen knife and stabbing her. Together they embark on an assault on many more victims of “Social Dumbness” and in the first hour (well, somewhere around that) there is nothing wrong. But then the movie gets a little bit too sensitive and kills every mood the viewer has build up to this point when Roxy and Frank seek shelter in a motel. From there on ‘til they break up because Frank finds out that Roxy has a caring yet “dumb” family and lied to him, the movie is not at its highest possible like before and afterwards. It is mediocre but it ain’t bad, it is what needs to be shown to show them forming a soul relationship but I just wish they had done it a little bit more interesting, better. When I watch that sequence I feel like not as entertained or critically challenged as I did before and that is what kind of bumps me. What was still good though was the JFK scene where if you would not have already guessed what was about to happen you get to know what will be Frank’s fate after all this. Yes, it will be the same as Kennedy’s: being killed because you did something good, or in part. But that’s up to you to decide entirely. 

His sweater is as cool as JFK, seriously. (4)

Next is Frank being informed that he is not about to die by a previously diagnosed brain tumor, that was just a little switch-up and the main worry here is if the Doctor gets sued or not. Frank then buys an AK-47 from his local gun supplier who is freaking awesome hilarious – especially the part about the German weapon, I know it was completely wrong but I laughed my ass off there. Now the roads were set for an explosive finale, literally as Frank entered the “American Superstarz”-Finale dressed with some explosives around his body. And don’t forget the AK-47. But well, thanks for killing that Cowell-dude anyway. Oh wait, did I say, Simon Cowell? Nah, I meant that judge dude with no visible connection to Cowell, yeah. And it comes to what it had to from the very beginning: they make a bloody massacre at the live show and end up getting shot by the police. It is one hell of a musical showdown GBA delivers and feels just so righteous set here. It is the only real, true ending to a fantastic movie. It delivers the message that society is stronger than one or even two characters in it. You cannot change it without the help of others. But at least, you can try. By shooting the bad people. Or maybe otherwise, maybe.

REVIEW PART (yeah, review part in a review, I know: weird) 

GBA has one big lead over most of the other movies, critical ones or not (even the "Transformers"-franchise if you will): it is not trying to look too real. It is not forcing false realism on its story and characters which help this movie feel like the comedy it wants to be. Just take Roxy’s character for example: she joining forces with Frank so easily, would that have in any way been realistic? Probably not. And the movie doesn’t want it to be for one simple reason: if that movie felt as it wanted to be realistic, it would be fatal for its interpretation. That movie is not, never and to no extent, wanting you to take participation in society by killing people. How wrong would that be? And if that were the message, the movie should a) be banned and b) it would lose its right of existence. But since this is not the case, let’s stop here. My point being that the movie is not trying to look perfectly real, you look at it with other eyes and it is with exactly those eyes the movie wants to be looked at. Cryptic, yes, but let me explain: If you look at that movie with the same view as you would watch a (let’s stay with one example here) “Transformers” movie, it is clear that GBA will fail you. You can’t just look at it with your eyes feasting off the blood hitting the screen or you won’t get to see the movie’s message in all of that. I’m not one of those guys that are always seeing things where normally there ain’t sh*t, believe me, I hate those people from time to time as they can ruin every movie for you if they are getting really started, but GBA is a different story. It has one central message: its society criticism. And if you bear that in mind while watching it, that is enough. The movie then feels… right. 

If I have a favourite scene, you ask? Well, yes, I do. It is also a quite important part of the movie and Frank’s evolution from average guy to “hero”. My favourite scene therefore is the “Walk of Fame”. Quite a good name for the scene considering Frank is indeed walking down the Hollywood Walk of Fame with the AK-47 in its metal case in his left hand while the music “I’m not like everybody else” is playing in the background. You see that Frank is now destined for the final act, for the classic “hero’s death” scene that is so often coming in these movies that do not necessarily feature a happy end. It is the very moment Frank doesn’t see himself anymore as the guy that had enough of society but more as the guy that can and has to change it once and for all. One epic moment there – definitely one to remember. 

What the movie also does very right is the ending, letting Frank’s “mission” fail completely as Steven Clark, the “Do uu knooooooooo”-singer kid that could not sing, told him that he didn’t want to commit suicide because people laughed at him (and oh, that they did) but because he wasn’t allowed on TV anymore. Sad. That is really really sad and with just that comment he made everything Frank stood for in that moment, talking into the cameras, fall into pieces like a house of cards. Everything was for nothing – which also sealed Frank’s now immediate death. Also, the re-uniting with Roxy felt good here, it was the right time, the right moment both for the story and the characters. 

The criticism the movie unfolds about a too "un-society"-like society is, at least in my opinion, justified as it is true and a becoming a real problem. Let's not forget that as I won't get into detail about that here. 

I won’t lie, there surely were  moments when you thought they could have done that a little bit different but overall, I’m pretty pleased with the outcome and afterwards I felt good and I had laughed a lot. So, short but accurate: the movie did what it wanted, it did not feel forced in any way and everything was set into picture pleasantly. 

And I want to conclude here with a statement by the director himself as it shows what I tried to explain in the last lines above: 

"OMG, my statement on 'The Krautics'!"(5)

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT – BOBCAT GOLDTHWAIT

Some folks compare making a movie to giving birth to a child.  There was a lot of blood and screaming while making GOD BLESS AMERICA so I guess that is true sometimes.  Although a fable, this movie comes from a really sincere place for me.

It is about how America has become a cruel and vicious place, while asking the viewer, “Where are we going??” and “Are you part of the solution or are you part of the problem?”  Or at least that is what I hope people take away from it.  If not it’s just a bloody Valentine to my wife where I get to shoot and kill a baby and a guy who acts a lot like Simon Cowell.  I’m fine either way.

I’m so happy the movie is playing Midnight Madness at the Toronto Film Festival.  I was inspired to make GOD BLESS AMERICA while watching A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE at Midnight Madness two years ago so I guess it’s the circle of life and death. 

If you see me up at the fest please come up and say “hi” and if you don’t like my new baby just lie.

Word.

Bobcat

Picture and sound aspects are not part of our sort of review because both is perfect on DVD as it is on Blu-ray and as a digital download. Of course, they are not the same but that, obviously, is the fact for every other movie as well and is therefore excluded here.

GBA brings its message (that has a right for existence!) across without compromising the fun factor of itself and provides you with about a 100 minutes of fun and entertainment that also leave you thinking about some of it. There were minor factors you could criticize but in the end, what will be remembered is its (feeling of) awesomeness. Bloody fun. 

4/5 stars. 

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 GOD BLESS AMERICA - CAPTIONS

1. Joel Murray and Tara Lynne Barr in GOD BLESS AMERICA, a Magnet Release.  Photo courtesy of Magnet Releasing. 

2. Joel Murray in GOD BLESS AMERICA, a Magnet Release.  Photo courtesy of Magnet Releasing. 

3. Tara Lynne Barr in GOD BLESS AMERICA, a Magnet Release.  Photo courtesy of Magnet Releasing. 

4. Tara Lynne Barr and Joel Murray in GOD BLESS AMERICA, a Magnet Release.  Photo courtesy of Magnet Releasing. 

5. Bobcat Goldthwait, director of GOD BLESS AMERICA, a Magnet Release.  Photo courtesy of Magnet Releasing.