God Bless America Review
Frank (Joel Murray) has had enough of it. His inconsiderate neighbours, the modern media culture, teenage brats and the general intolerance and rudeness that surrounds him.
Upon losing his job and discovering that he has a tumour in his brain, Frank finally cracks and heads out on a gun-toting rampage to bring a bit of justice to the world. But along the way he makes quite the impression on teenage school girl, Roxy (Tara Lynne Barr), who ends up joining him on his quest and the two set about their killing spree.
This film is a comedy. A black comedy; a satire that hilariously portrays what modern society and media have done to discern us from each other.
Director Bodcat Goldthwait people (of my age) will remember as the crazy guy from the Police Academy series, but also perhaps as Eliot Loudermilk from Scrooged. Interesting to note the Eliot Loudermilk was also a character who was wronged by the system and turned vigilante later on in that film. Also interesting to note that that was a film headed up by Bill Murray and that God Bless America stars his brother Joel. (Actually at least four of the Murray clan appeared in Scrooged if you inspect it closely enough). It’s all very six degrees of Kevin Bacon.
The film gets right to the nitty-gritty of what is bothering frank as he listens to his loud neighbours and channel hops on his television (which features some very accurate and hilarious spins on modern television). The opening also features quite violent fantasy involving a baby which really tells the audience just how blackly comic this film is going to get.
But to be fair – although the film involves plenty of gun carnage it is never over stylised (except perhaps the use of slo-mo) or overly gory. The film mainly focuses on the relationship between stressed and fatigued Frank and the overly excitable Roxy. Both actors manage to pull off their roles and create an interesting chemistry.
Comparisons for this film will likely be made with last year’s Super, and to an extent Kick-ass. But this is not comic book wannabes; it’s more the vigilante aspect. Most of the comparisons will come from the fact that it feature two people (One an older man, the other a young girl) fed up with all the wrong in the world and their extreme reaction to it.
But it is a film that strongly stands on its own merits and has plenty of laugh out loud visual gags as well as a very witty script (Diablo Cody (of Juno fame) gets a licking from the two characters in one of the highlight rants).
The film only loses part of its strength at the finale when it starts to become all a bit too easy and coincidental. But considering the message that is being out there it’s also easy enough to forgive the film for needing to tie its ends up even if it requires the use of contrivance.
God Bless America is out in cinemas on 4 July and the DVD release on 9 July.
Steven Hurst