“?” (2005)

Starring, Written and Directed by Alex Harz and Tom Kennedy
Pure Film Productions

Polly Staffle Rating: **

They’ve been called the next Matt Damon and Ben Affleck or at least that’s what the back cover of Alex Harz and Tom Kennedy’s DVD release of “?” says. But I don’t know how much to trust these guys as Jesus Christ is also quoted calling the film the best movie in 2,000 years. There’s also a recommendation from Fiscal and Jerbert. Well, I’m guessing “two thumbs up in your ass” is to be taken positively. One thing is for sure, Harz and Kennedy sure know how to draw attention to themselves. A blowup doll named Nancy is one of the stars of their film and their DVD is a 3-disc set with a full color version, a black and white one featuring color scenes and the excellent movie soundtrack. That’s almost as good as the packaging of “Titanic: Special Edition” and it won best supplementary material at the 2006 VSDA’s. I’m just not sure if “?” is in need of such a solid DVD release as I’m not quite sure why Harz and Kennedy want people to pay attention to their film.

Honestly this feels like a “message film” without a message. Perhaps the duo is simply burnt out and pissed off about the great American lie. Their main character West surely is. What’s the great American lie? You know, go to college, get a degree and join the work force to find happiness and wealth beyond your dreams so you can be creative and fulfilled as a human being while raising a family of wonderful children with the woman of your dreams in a McMansion. Essentially, do what you are told and everything will work out fantastic because God and the government are looking out for you. West (Kennedy) went to college and is in debt thanks to student loans and finds himself unemployed and angry at the world. He currently lives off of his girlfriend, who he fights with every day. West is also screwed up from being emotionally, physically and sexually abused as a child. If it wasn’t for a few vices – smoking and dipping – West would probably be a mass murderer. In fact, he probably should pick up a few more addictions to distract himself from becoming the next Ted Bundy.

One day while buying a pack of cigarettes and chew at a convenience store, West meets Art (Harz). Art is financially well off, but not otherwise. He is mentally handicapped and living on his own thanks to his rich parents that have abandoned him to fend for himself. Art is currently being taken advantage of by the store as he works without pay. He has no clue. Emotionally hurt and alone in the world, Art too gets by with a few vices. His biggest being pornographic videos. His other obsessions include exercise equipment, aliens, polka and tofu smoothies. Soon West and Art form a strange relationship that lasts for three days of weirdness before tragedy strikes. In their travels, the duo crashes a pyramid scheme seminar hosted by a man with a Middle Eastern accent, West buys roofies and Nancy the Blowup Doll from a Joe Eszterhas-looking adult store clerk and he meets and drugs a blind date so Art can have his way with the unconscious woman.

I watched both versions of the film, and to tell you the truth, I still do not know what to make of it. I did like the black and white version more, however. You see, there are scenes in the film that were shot with hidden cameras. Art and West go into restaurants, the park and a woman’s clothing store in character with it unbeknownst to those around them that they are filming a movie. The first go-round I didn’t even realize it, but the black and white version of the film shows the hidden camera sequences in color. I’ll admit that ended up being a neat gimmick, but I’m not sure it’s enough to completely sell me on the film.

The main problem “?” has is it doesn’t know what kind of movie it is. I was reminded of the video game “Grand Theft Auto III” due to the use of talk radio during car sequences. I also thought of the movies “Natural Born Killers,” “Falling Down” and “A Clockwork Orange,” but the story never veers into that violent of territory. The preachy dialogue and vulgar humor seemed reminiscent of “Clerks,” especially watching it in black and white, but I didn’t really find myself laughing that much.

I also felt as though Harz and Kennedy didn’t really have a story or know what they wanted to say with their project and that’s how it has the title it does. The film expresses anger and frustration with how society functions using rants against religion, hypocrisy, the American dream, get-rich-quick schemes and how we are all exploited in the work force, but at the end of it all there’s no message, no hope or anything really, but a “My Girl” finale. For those that don’t get what I am saying, that means the film is moving along with no direction and then out of the blue something tragic happens to somebody we as audience members are supposed to be identifying with or sympathizing with. This sort of shock to the emotions ending can also be referred to as the hand that rocks the “Million Dollar Baby.”

I’ll admit there are some pretty good moments in the film and I have found myself quoting the character of Art. I especially love his whole tofu smoothie love affair. I also found myself liking West. Both characters are interesting and charismatic, but the acting is a bit too over the top for my tastes. Art doesn’t come off as a real mentally challenged person. He comes off as a caricature and West is waned so tightly he can’t be at all taken seriously. By the time the film got to Art taking a dump in public and West ripping down an American flag to wipe with, my interest in where the film was headed was lost.

Harz states David Lynch, Stanley Kubrick, Monty Python, the Coen Brothers and fellow Colorado filmmakers Matt Stone and Trey Parker as influences. He says the main intention of the film was to provide a unique element, while evoking emotions.

“We hope that the audience can laugh and cry, be mad and shocked, question and analyze what they just saw,” Harz said. “Thus being interested to watch both versions in its entirety, taking in all the points of the film, while taking note of the differences in feeling and mood between the two versions.”

Personally, had I not been reviewing the film I probably would have turned it off and wouldn’t have ever watched the second version. I’m glad I did, but I don’t know if most audiences will be that patient. But maybe I am being too hard on the film as quite a few reviews on Amazon.com and Internet Movie Database praise it. Perhaps having recently watched the double documentary set “Best Boy” and “Best Man” on the mentally challenged and loveable Philly Wohl, I wasn’t in the mood for the unrealistic performance Harz gives. Regardless, I am now curious as to what a tofu smoothie tastes like and since Harz and Kennedy like to promote their film using outlandish quotes, I’m ending this review with a few.

1.) Pants down, “?” is the best movie using a punctuation mark as its title.

2.) Alex Harz and Tom Kennedy may not be the next Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, but they probably could easily kick their asses.

3.) With two versions of the film and a bonus soundtrack CD, “?” sinks the “Titanic: Special Edition.”

4.) “?” will make you stand up and scream “@!#?@!” just like Q*Bert used to.

5.) “?” is the first movie since “S.F.W” that made me say “WTF?”

- CCF, August 2006