FILM INFO: In the wake of personal and professional failure, Anthony retreats to a vacation home where he encounters an estranged friend from his past.
WRITTEN BY: Kyle Eaton DIRECTED BY: Kyle Eaton GENRE: Comedy, Drama TIME: 92 Minutes
Most of us know guys like this. A little awkward, maybe they say odd things at inappropriate times and are generally considered a "strange" kind of lad. For our protagonist Anthony, it's a bit of all the above with a side order of tension and maybe, a small bit of selfishness. These are the guys we generally meet through other people because quite frankly, most of us wouldn't go out of our way to befriend a person like Anthony on our own. On a subconscious level, "Shut Up Anthony" presented by Kyle Eaton, who wrote and directed this film, makes us wonder such things and although not overtly addressed in the movie, you will wonder why Anthony has a girl like Sam. Or how he even knows the people he knows. Those answers quickly become apparent in the opening scenes. Anthony's current social circle consists of friends probably introduced by his better half. All this becomes clear during a gathering at a local bar, where the question of the night happens to be: Where's Sam? In all his awkward glory, Anthony tries to deflect these questions as best he can. So now we're left with a single question. Why is the "hero" of the film this particular way? Enter the rest of the movie where ever so slowly we begin to understand and maybe, just maybe, empathize a little. "Shut Up Anthony" is a heartfelt yet surprisingly realistic film about mistakes, consequences, and our ability to take responsibility and blame for things we may not need to. It's core demonstrates how shouldering a heavy burden, for extended periods of time, can take it's toll on a person. This is the direction Kyle Eaton takes us. Cause, effect and maybe even retribution and salvation. Pretty lofty goals for an independent, low budget film. I'm glad to say "Shut Up Anthony" handles these hefty topics quite well before the flick is done. An excellent cast provide the fuel needed to push this dialog heavy film forward to it's conclusion. Although not nearly as comedic as one would think, considering the advertised genre of the movie, the film generates it's power using sheer realism and grit. I can almost guarantee that if you make it through the first thirty to thirty five minutes, you'll be hooked. More on that below. A disturbing trend I've noticed recently involves long running indie flicks. It occurs to me that current indie filmmakers are all hell-bent on reaching that ninety minute or more mark. That magical number that says: Hey world! I've put together a "feature" length film! The truth is that by not making the hard choices, usually when the filmmaker also wears the editors hat, and not leaving some footage on the cutting room floor, the movie suffers a little. "Shut Up Anthony" falls into this category as it feels a little long running. What's more important to note is that it's the first half that feels the longest. Especially considering this is a dialog heavy film, some real tough edits should have been made in the first half allowing things to flow. Truth be told, I had no real idea of where the story was even going, until much later in the film. I knew we had some good characters, played excellently by some talented actors. I knew the film "looked" great visually. Hell, it even sounded great. I just had no idea of the real point to the story... until later. This is all fine and dandy for the enthusiast; that person who will stick around allowing a movie the time to shine. In this case by the way, it totally does. The second half of this film is on par with most higher budgeted studio productions I've seen lately. My concern is for the casual viewer, who may get bored early and not give the movie the chance it deserves. As far as indie films go, by the time the credits roll, you've simply forgotten this is a low budget flick. Getting to that point however, was not quite so easy. Real care should always be taken when considering the average, movie going public. Start with a bang... so to speak. The other aspect of "Shut Up Anthony" I kept thinking about while watching was the musical backing. Don't get me wrong, the mix was great... the songs were perfectly fitted... yet there was a lot going on in the background. Scenes that had no business with a backing score, had a backing score. There were times in the film I felt like the music was attempting to overpower the movie, or cover something up. As a lover of all things film, let me just say that a score should enhance a film. Not be ever present. This wasn't a deal breaker by any means. Just something that crossed my mind a few times. Save being a little long winded to start, "Shut Up Anthony" really caught up and surprised the hell out of me. This is another indie film that, before it's all said and done, screams anything "except" independent. The excellent cast propel this well written film forward so well, you may actually think you "know" this small group of people. The quickly paced dialog not only adds to the entertainment, but makes for a "real" feeling environment where these characters exist. Even the ending feels just right. Not overly a happy one, but a good way to leave things... if you will. The portrayal of people that were not perfect tea drinking cartoons felt spot on. Even the instances of immaturity felt perfectly fitted, as well as comedic. I loved the "picture scene" in the woods. That was excellent! I had a great time not only watching this film, but thinking of things to write about it as well. Overall this was a clever story that holds enough unique flourishes, to make it easily stand tall and proud above many, many others. Like I started this humble review, so shall I finish it. Most of us know guys like this...