directed by:
Benjamin Vomastek written by: Benjamin Vomastek genre: Comedy |
It is pretty damn apparent, pretty damn quick, that Edward is gonna have a hard time fitting in at school. On the other hand, the other main character of Ryan is busy crackin’ 40 ounces during the weekdays - and probably has no real future ahead of him, so you decide which dude is really worse off than the other.
Following in the tradition of movies like “Meatballs,” “Revenge Of The Nerds,” “Fast Times At Ridgemont High” and the like, “Rosetta Stoned” is that coming-of-age type of film that’s unafraid to make the stoner kid into the hero of the story and turns social losers into icons. Made on a shoestring budget of around $30K, I feel like you gotta admire how much has been done here with so little. “Rosetta Stoned” starts out being totally interesting right off the drop, with Edward’s high-functioning autism giving his character a noticeable degree of strangeness and Ryan’s inherent attitude of social rebellion leading the way. Cue the hijinks and homework copying from there as Ryan makes a deal to provide Edward with some weed - in exchange for the opportunity to better his grades, but as you might expect, it’s not quite that simple. When Edward gets his first payment in greens for helping Ryan with his schoolwork, it’s clear he has no idea whatsoever about how to smoke it. He aces his projects but can’t figure out which end to grab a joint from. These two…are honestly freakin’ perfect in their roles. Ryan (Chadwick Marge) is quick-witted with his dialogue and clever comebacks, and Edward (Jalen Steudle) is fantastic as a first-time stoner/socially awkward dude with special needs and a whole rack of insecurities to navigate. While the content itself is still fairly familiar despite a new odd-couple dynamic, it genuinely works, especially if you’re considering how small the budget would be compared to just about everything else ever made. Writer/director Benjamin Vomastek knows the real strengths of a great film can certainly be found in impeccable dialogue, clever writing, and great characters – all elements that are way more crucial than flashy special effects could ever be. What I really liked about this movie was that it actually felt very hard to figure out where the script came into play and where these two main characters simply took the joint and ran with it. So much of what you’ll see has an authentically natural feel to it, which ends up giving the viewers the feeling that they’re watching very real people, as opposed to actors acting. If everything we see is scripted, “Rosetta Stoned” deserves even more kudos than I’m already willing to give it…because we’d be talking about, like, a Coen brothers’ level of detail if that was the case. We spend most of our time with the two main dudes in this hazy & faded fairytale – but make no mistake, there is also a great supporting cast in the background. Their teacher, for example, played by Don Knill, is probably a perfect reminder of many you found in your own high school as well. Ryan’s dad also has an impact with limited screen time. Even the classmates around the hallways - all do well with the time they get to help move this story forward. Ryan’s part-time girlfriend, Cindy, is stellar. It all seems to work, and through the clouds of smoke involved in a story like this, the attention to detail you wanna see is all right where you wanna find it. Again, you can give a lot of credit to Vomastek’s ability to craft great scenes and great dialogue - and execute at a level beyond his current means. He’s not only written this stoner comedy spot on but he’s also cast this movie exceptionally well, which gives his writing the opportunity to shine as brightly as it does because both Chadwick and Jalen nail it.
Essentially, not only is Vomastek a serious talent himself, but he clearly knows how to recognize talent in others, too, making for a combination of skills that is destined to generate results worth watching. What will likely impress viewers even more is that he knows how to infuse heart into his characters and story. We want this weird friendship to become more solidified as time goes on. We want Ryan to get grades good enough to keep him out of jail. We want Edward to stop wiping himself with dryer sheets and soaking his eyeballs in Visine so that he becomes the stoner he wants to be in this world. Even though they’re from entirely different social classes, it’s awesome to see these two beat the odds to become real friends. One has it all figured out without having anything figured out, and the other hasn’t got a thing figured out without having anything figured out – and again, I’ll leave it to you to sort out which is really which. At the core of it all, you’ll actually find a heartwarming message that lies underneath all the antics…one that reminds us that we always have more in common with people that appear to be different than us - than we’d ever assume at first. I don’t wanna affect the street cred of this stoner film and call it sweet, but that’s pretty much the reality here – it is. Scenes like the potential school drug raid, difficulties between our two main heroes, and Edward’s fantastic concept of what his first party will be like go a long way to balance that sweetness out and ensure we remember that this is a stoner comedy. We all need help in some area of our lives; we’re all failing at something, even if we’re good at a whole bunch of other things. Perhaps more than anything else, we all need the support of a real friend. “Rosetta Stoned” has all the right ingredients to succeed and does a spectacular job of executing Vomastek’s vision for what this could be. There’s very little wasted space here, no exhausting slow-moving parts – and again, the reason as to why that is all comes down to Benjamin’s character development and the dialogue they share. It’s filmed really well, and despite its razor-thin budget, it was oodles of fun to watch. “Rosetta Stoned” has all the right ingredients to keep you thoroughly entertained. I’m going with an easy four & a half stars out of five for the writing, acting, and execution combined – this movie’s great! |
More To Check Out.
|