directed by:
Mark Schwab written by: Mark Schwab genre: Comedy |
Evan sure doesn’t seem like he’s in a good mood when we meet him for the first time. Dude’s got the acoustic guitar pulled out, he’s stumbling over alcohol bottles, he’s got his film subject Andy naked doin’ poppers in front of him & trying to offer him a blowjob, yet nothing seems to be making him happy. Such is life for the fallen director who has now been relegated to making empty warehouse porn, I guess.
It is no secret that Comedy is a tough style of movie to make, and a Dark Comedy is even tougher. If there’s not enough balance in the pace & tone, you can basically end up with a Drama. As I approached the fifteen-minute mark of “Cutaways,” I felt like there were legitimate reasons to be concerned about what kind of movie this would really turn out to be. Even in a Dark Comedy situation, where things are drier than dry, it’s still bizarre to go through a fifteen-minute stretch without a single laugh. That’s not me saying I’m uninterested in what I’m watching, more so than it’s just a comment on how difficult it can be to market a film when it rolls along with uneven dynamics, or you let your assumptions of what a movie will be like & you discover it isn’t going to be that. “Cutaways” is likely to be much different than what you expect, and it’ll reveal that quickly – but that doesn’t mean it ain’t still worth a watching…stick with it. Many people, or perhaps more accurately, folks seeking to collect, are continually looking for Evan, who, from what we gather, has fallen so far down the food chain in Hollywood that he may as well leave it all behind. Rather than retire, though, he’s shifted into the “digital erotic arts” with tweedle dee (Andy) and tweedle dumb (Ryan), as he tries to navigate life at the bottom of the barrel. Are Evan’s directorial talents completely wasted in this pornographic realm? I mean…clearly the guy is trying to make himself an Oscar-worthy skin flick, and it’s pretty obvious that when he’s behind the lens, he’s probably taking this a whole lot more seriously than any other director would in a similar situation. Andy’s as game as they get as long as the drugs keep flowing, and Ryan is simply doing his level best to stay hard. Just another day in the studios located close to the seedy underbelly, fairly adjacent to Hollywood, right? “Cutaways” is tough to love – and that’s coming from a guy who really enjoys movies that take place entirely in one location. The empty inside of this warehouse studio feels almost symbolic of the film itself – there’s so much room & space for more than how it’s being used. When Trace (Jason Caceres) shows up with Sammy (James Duval) and the cast expands to five warm bodies, it still doesn’t feel like there’s quite enough here to keep most people watching. “Cutaways” quickly feels like it’s a movie in search of an idea or a reason to exist, which is also symbolic of the sad journey that Evan has been on in his race to the bottom (pun intended enough to take credit for it…you’ll see). There’s so much space in this movie that it constantly feels like something is desperately missing. Chances are that’s going to be the laughs for many folks out there watching this that have been promised some Comedy in some way, shape or form, yet have been given none to speak of. There is plenty of crude language that’ll keep you amused as you’re watching, like the conversation with Sammy where Ryan highlights the fact that he can suck himself off, or Evan shouting at Ryan to f**k Andy’s ass – but course and crude language is way different than Comedy, right? The consistent weight of Evan’s predicament threatens the atmosphere and the mood…like…maybe we’d chuckle a little bit if everything didn’t seem so desolate and hopeless. Somewhere after the forty-minute mark, we finally get a bit of deserved light at the end of the tunnel, and the Dark part of this Dark Comedy starts to make itself known with a major twist in the plot. That’s where I felt myself start to get more interested, hoping this might end up somewhere more along the lines of a “Very Bad Things” type of movie by the time it reaches the finish line. “Cutaways” relies heavily on its dialogue, given the limited action, and while some of it is effective, it’s challenging to gauge its impact on the audience because the characters lack the depth they require. Think of it like this – you’re bound to learn more about what Evan is going through and what got him here through the synopsis for the film as opposed to learning about it from something that you see in “Cutaways.” I think that’s a bit of an issue personally. Evan (Silas Kade) actually has some really great moments along the way, but again, it’s harder for these moments to make the impact that they’re supposed to because we don’t really end up invested in him as much as it feels we should be.
Before you reach the fifty-minute mark, Evan will go on to make one absolutely incredible suggestion that could make or break the film he’s creating – and I’ll admit, the very idea of what he’s looking for Ryan (Diego Hausen) to do eventually got that highly anticipated chuckle out of me. Sticking very close to the dry style that makes Dark Comedy work, Writer/Director Mark Schwab practically skirts right past it without a second thought…which was actually kind of amazing when you think about it. It’s such a wild idea and concept that you’d think the whole movie would have stopped, refocused, and surged forward, but I don’t know that necessarily happened. Duval is the veteran in this cast – he’s got a resume that spans longer than the biggest hallway in your house – he delivers with confidence and precision, but seems just as unaware as everyone else that there’s supposedly a comedic element to “Cutaways.” Interesting, yes, funny, no…I mean…Schwab might just have to settle for that assessment. In fact, I’d tell you that, across the board, the acting in this film is really pretty good. If there are issues with this movie, I didn’t feel like it was on the part of the actors – I think they did what they could with the script that they had, you know what I mean? It’s a small cast, but to his credit, Schwab got the best they could offer through his direction, and because of that, “Cutaways” keeps us engaged enough. Did I want more out of “Cutaways” overall? Yes. Yes, I did. In fact, that feeling might have even gotten stronger as the main plot twist was revealed – that was when I really had hope that this would go to the next level that seemed to be eluding it all along. I appreciate Evan’s plight & the awkwardness that would come along with a thespian’s attitude towards making porn – and I loved his endless well of sarcasm. It takes a long time, until the latter third of the movie, before Schwab starts to really use Betts to his advantage so he can say what he wants to say with his social commentary, and even that was still something that felt like he moseyed on by without bringing quite enough attention to. Betts proves to be the main asset in this film, but I think it’s fair to say it’s still a bizarre performance to watch with the dialogue that he’s been given. He’s got a brilliant deadpan, and his most over-the-top moments are cleverly delivered right before he’ll show you that – which speaks strongly of his acting chops – but the movie still has the odd pace of film that feels like it’s rolling along on square wheels. If anything, “Cutaways” plays more like a Mystery, because we literally have no idea where this movie is going to go and haven’t since the moment that it started. By the end, we’re left to wonder if Evan was really exiled from Hollywood long ago, or if he ended up right where he truly wants to be. “Cutaways” remains somewhat interesting throughout – I enjoyed watching it, but I’m less convinced the masses will – I’m going with two & a half stars outta five. |
|
|
More To Check Out.
|
