Tag: SLIFF

S.L.I.F.F. Review: ‘Mosquito Kingdom’

Jeremy:

I remember back in the mid to late ’90s after ‘Pulp Fiction’ came out.   There were countless amounts of knockoffs, films that wanted to infuse that same sense of cool that came from the combination of sharp-witted dialogue with over-the-top violence.   Most of the people behind these films wanted just a taste of the success that Tarantino found with his earlier films.   Most of them dropped the ball completely.   So, now, 17 years after ‘Reservoir Dogs’, 14 years after ‘Pulp Fiction’, and a number of years since the wave that followed those two films seemed to dissipate, it’s kind of mind-numbing to watch a film that still tries to capture that same style.

‘Mosquito Kingdom’ is a film directed by local, St. Louis filmmakers who shot the film throughout the St. Louis area and an island in the Florida Keys. The story follows a group of criminals who are sent to a desolate island when they become too much trouble for their crime boss to handle. This is intercut with flashback scenes of one character in particular, Ash, played by Chad Bockholdt, and how he came to be on the island.

It’s an interesting idea, one that the directors, Derek Elz and Brad Hodge, and the writer, Jed Ayres, may possibly revisit someday with a bigger budget.   ‘Mosquito Kingdom’ was shot guerrilla-style, on digital cameras and with a budget of not even $100,000.   However, the film, shot primarily in black and white, looks amazing.   Elz served as cinematographer on the film, as well, and he gives the film a milieu that compares to the best of film noir.   The blacks within the shots are stark black, and the white are rather dirty looking.   Elz’s visual style, filled with shadowy faces and smoke-filled rooms, gives certain locations found throughout St. Louis a Gothic feel.

Unfortunately, this is where the pros found in ‘Mosquito Kingdom’ abruptly end.   Just about everything else involved with the making of this film comes off as amateurish and cheap.   That’s not something that comes from the budget, though.   Several decent films were made for $100,000 or less, but this film wears its tawdriness like a leisure suit.   At times, it’s almost as if it is flaunting the fact that is has such a low budget.

The biggest agitation in the film comes from the acting.   The actors and actresses involved may not be bad at their craft.   The guerrilla style of the making of the film, with the script being rewritten time and time again to adapt, seemingly took its toll on the actors while filming in Florida.   The actors involved seem distracted by the production, and this comes across on camera.   Bockholdt holds his own in the film’s leading role.   Jaxon Stanford as Woodrell, the crime boss, is decent enough.   Everyone else just seems to be doing this as a favor to a friend.   There’s no real passion to be found on any of the actors’ faces.

For the most part, Elz’s camera work is stunning.   However, the film is sporadically told through split-screens that add nothing but unwanted distraction.   Other times the shots go to inverted colors or sepia tones, and that, too, is very distracting.   It’s unfortunate that Elz couldn’t stick with what worked for him.   When the film cuts into these different styles, it comes off like a college student showing off his newly installed video editing software.   This stuff was “cutting edge” eight years ago on Avid.

The story jumps back and forth in its timeline frequently, and it adds nothing to the plot.   It would have worked just fine, better, in fact, to have been told completely linear.   It’s yet another instance where the filmmakers tried to emulate something Tarantino did nearly 20 years ago and for no other reason than to prove how big of Tarantino fans they are.   Don’t even get me started on the torture scene that is played to the tune of an upbeat, pop song.   Sound familiar?   That kind of imitation is just blatant and unwarranted.

You have to give credit to anyone who sets out to make a film and succeeds.   By whatever means possible, it is an accomplishment for any filmmaker to get his or her film completed.   ‘Mosquito Kingdom’ is an example of guerrilla-style filmmaking that would have greatly benefited from a bigger budget.   That would have helped the acting, and it probably would have helped the direction problems.   However, the budget has nothing to do with the script issues the film has.   Totally excising the nonlinear form and taking out any unashamed rip-offs of other films, particularly those by Tarantino, would have left us with a decently crafted and interesting screenplay.   As it is, ‘Mosquito Kingdom’ only works as an exercise in black and white filmmaking, the only thing this film does right.

[Overall: 2 stars out of 5]

Festival Screening Date: Sunday, November 23 @ 5:45 pm(Tivoli)

S.L.I.F.F. Review: ‘Ben X’

Travis:

The majority of us can only imagine blindly what it must be like to live every day of your life with autism. Unfortunately, there are many of us in the world who choose not to consider this question and instead choose to take the “easy” path of casting those who seem “different” out of our society of acceptance.

‘Ben X’ is directed by  Nic Balthazar. It tells the story of Ben, a teenager with a specific form of autism known as Asperger’s Syndrome. Ben spends much of his free time playing an online computer fantasy game called ArchLord where he feels at home. Ben feels like a hero when he plays his game and it allows for him to live a sort of  second, more fulfilling life. Unfortunately, when Ben is not in the comfort of his home he finds himself repeatedly picked on and bullied. The other students at school harass and terrorize him for “being” different and Ben’s inability to interact with them socially makes it difficult for him to peacefully defend himself.

The thing that no one else realizes, including his distressed mother, is that Ben yearns to live a normal life. Not necessarily one without his autism, but one where he’s not abused on a daily basis. Ben has been carrying on a meaningful relationship with a fellow gamer called Scarlite, with whom he plays ArchLord with. The two of them live out their relationship online through their characters, until Scarlite decides she wants to meet Ben in person. When they do finally meet, Ben cannot force himself to seal the deal and he risks losing her forever. In addition, Ben’s curiosity about death and suicide begin to take a stronger hold on his life, tempting him with a fail-safe solution to his life of peer-induced misery. Ben will ultimately make a powerful decision about his life that will affect everyone in his life.

‘Ben X’ takes the audience on a stomach-churning tour of his life. Balthazar manages to reinforce the unsettling story with unstable camera techniques and jarring motion to keep the audience from getting too comfortable. Watching the film is an experience of being an uneasy witness and a moth drawn to light all at once. Throughout the film, Ben imagines himself as his hero character from ArchLord as a way to help him cope with the stress of his life and Balthazar utilizes the CG special FX  with great effectiveness  in this way. ‘Ben X’ is an amazing film with a superb story and a powerful message about the state of our teenage culture towards a growing population with autism. This is a film that is beneficial to all, but  should resonate strongly with the teenage crowd and hopefully impact them in a positive way. I strongly suggest this film to everyone!

[Overall: 4.5 stars out of 5]

Festival Screening Date: Saturday, November 22 @ 12:15pm (Frontenac)

S.L.I.F.F. Review: ‘The Heartbeat Detector’

Jeremy:

Nicolas Klotz’s new film, ‘The Heartbeat Detector’ (or ‘La Question humain’/’The Human Question’ as it is know in France), is a quasi-thriller about the dishonesty and immorality surrounding the corporate world.   In a sense, it is much along the same lines as ‘Michael Clayton’ only there are no car explosions, no hitmen rubbing people out, and no implausible, Hollywood ending to spoil what has come before.   In a nutshell, it’s considered a thriller, but there is very little intensity to be found here.   That’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Mathie Amalric (‘The Diving Bell and the Butterfly’ and ‘Quantum of Solace’) stars as Simon Kessler, a company psychologist who is asked to look into the eccentric activities of the company’s CEO, played by Michael Lonsdale (‘Moonraker’ and ‘Ronin’).   During his investigation, Kessler uncovers much history pertaining to the CEO and to the company, some of which begins to unravel Kessler’s own sense of being.

‘The Heartbeat Detector’ is a film that forces you to pay very close attention to what it is saying.   The way Klotz composes each scene and the way each character speaks and acts is all working towards the film’s final moments.   In those moments, the whole of the film is wrapped up in an understanding.   It becomes more of a philosophical study on the nature of human beings, both in history and in the corporate structures that thrive today.   In the end, Kessler is left to question everything he holds dear, what it means to be human.

The film deals with many idealistic issues.   What is our purpose in life?   Are we just cogs in a wheel that makes up an even bigger machine?   What is that machine’s ultimate purpose?   How much of our authority should we question before giving in and stepping in line with everyone else?   As Kessler begins to ask those questions of the world and of his own company, we begin asking those same questions of ourselves and the lives we lead.   It becomes a heady analysis of the way the corporate structure has developed and how history can repeat itself in so many different ways, none of which are inherently decent.   In order to create the perfect corporation, the perfect organization, the perfect, well-oiled machine, certain ideals must be sacrificed for efficiency and stability.   This is at the center of the perspective ‘The Heartbeat Detector’ takes.

And the film’s underlying themes do not even stop there.   In the film’s final moments, Kessler begins talking with a man whom the CEO knew years before.   The man brings up another interesting point, that of the way language is used to affect the way something is viewed.   Just in the way the term “shell shock” has become “battle fatigue” and lost all harshness in its understanding, so too have terms relating to our consumer-driven and corporate ran society.

“We no longer have poor people, only those on modest incomes,” says the man.   Hearing this after hearing the story he has told of what he saw as a child and after witnessing the way Kessler’s corporation is run, we begin to wonder what term “downsizing” is a replacement for.

‘The Heartbeat Detector’ is a haunting film, one that raises many questions without the audacity to think it has the answers for them.   It is not a film for casual film-goers to think they can view on a Saturday afternoon without walking away unscathed.   The structure of the film is anything but based out of Hollywood.   The film runs 140 minutes, and there are several scenes that seemingly have no bearing on the story as a whole.   Like Michael Haneke’s ‘Cache’, its suspense is derived from the things we never see, the things that happen between the lines.   It is ironic that a film that deals with corporate efficiency and, essentially, the things that must be sacrificed in order to achieve that efficiency would have some fat to trim.

If this were ever remade, like the corporate downsizing, and the downsizing of an entire civilization, the story would be cut down to make the story more succinct and, yes, efficient.   All meaning would be lost, because those who make it would not understand the ideas that drive the film.   They would essentially be feeding the monster that the film warns us of.

It’s a film whose central ideas are best described by the film itself.   There are feeling and suggestions ‘The Heartbeat Detector’ conveys better than I ever could.   It is a film worth seeing for anyone who wants a deeper meaning with their film than what is just seen on the surface.   It is one of the best written films of the year, one whose haunting nature is sure to stick with you long after you leave the theater.   In fact, much of what ‘The Heartbeat Detector’ is trying to say might not sink in until days after viewing it.   In the end, it is the absolute perfect example of a psychological thriller, a sheer definition of the term.

[Overall: 4.75 stars out of 5]

Festival Screening Date: Tuesday, November 18 @ 6:30 pm + Wednesday, November 19 @ 1:30 pm (Frontenac)

S.L.I.F.F. Review: ‘Kassim the Dream’

Travis:

In the world of sports movies, there are good movies and there are great movies. Amidst the boxing movie pantheon are recognizable titles like ‘Raging Bull’ and ‘Cinderella Man’ but how many of us stop to consider the documentary in this category? ‘When We Were Kings’ was an incredible movie about Mohammed Ali. ‘Shadow Boxers’ was a great movie about women’s professional boxing. ‘Kassim the Dream’ is perhaps the film that takes king of the hill status over all the rest.

This extremely well-made documentary follows Kassim “The Dream” Ouma as he rises quickly in the world of IBF professional boxing after deserting the military in Uganda to make a better life for himself in America.  Kassim was kidnapped at the age of  six and forced to fight in the rebel army. While serving, Kassim found his true calling when he joined the army’s boxing team. Kassim made his brave escape from the military while on a trip to America with Uganda’s amateur boxing team, leaving his family behind. This would ultimately be the root from which all of Kassim’s future success and heartache stems.

‘Kassim the Dream’ allows us to witness his training and his personal life living in America. Kassim has a young son with a woman in America who is his pride and joy, but he also grieves over the fact that he’s left his other son in poverty back in Uganda where his beloved grandmother and sisters are raising him in his absence. Kassim yearns to return home and see his family and wishes to bring his other son to America so he can provide a better life for him. In addition, Kassim is burdened with a heavy sense of grief for his father’s death, who was killed by the army as a result of Kassim deserting the military. Kassim struggles with this throughout the film until he finally makes his journey home, visiting his father’s grave while there, resulting in an extremely emotional scene of Kassim fully coming to terms with his father’s loss and begging for forgiveness.

The film is not without some great documentation of Kassim’s boxing. We witness he aggressive and fast-paced domination of the light middleweight division at which he becomes world champion. Kassim is an offensive fighter, throwing well over 100 punches per round and usually devours his opponent, overwhelming them with speed and accuracy. After losing his title to a fighter some would say was inferior, Kassim trains to move into the middleweight division to challenge Jermaine Taylor for the world championship. Kassim has the disadvantage in height, weight and reach, but he is confident he can out-smart and out-box Taylor for the title, promising his homeland of Uganda a champion before returning home. Kassim fights brilliantly and shows he has a chin of steel taking several hard hits to the head, but holds his own for a decision. The outcome of this fight would also  have a heavy emotional impact on Kassim.

Kassim is a testament to faith and hard work. He is humble and he remains true to his roots and his family and loyal to Uganda while living in America. Throughout the film, Kassim refrains from speaking negatively to or about anyone, even when Jermaine Taylor take a more aggressive negative approach to promoting their fight. The President of Uganda at the time was the man in charge of the original child soldier policy, at which time Kassim was kidnapped and trained to kill. Kassim struggled with this, but did as he was told in order to survive. Despite the wrong done to him, Kassim does not hold grudged against the President or anyone else but does ask forgiveness for the atrocities he committed as a child soldier. ‘Kassim the Dreamer’ is mandatory viewing, in my opinion, whether you’re a fan of the sport of boxing or not… this film is much more than that!

[Overall:Â  4.5 stars out of 5]

Festival Screening Date: Sunday, November 16 @ 7:15pm(Tivoli)

S.L.I.F.F. Review: ‘Son of a Lion’

Melissa:

Any film that starts off with a young child not only shooting, but identifying firearms makes me nervous! Or how about a child selling them? Hey, I had a job at 12, but it was selling sodas, sno-cones, and pretzels at the local concession stand and delivering newspapers in my neighborhood. The scariest thing about that was burning yourself with nacho cheese or getting a paper cut!

The story follows a father (Sher Alam Miskeen Ustad)and his eleven year old boy (Niaz Khan Shinwari). Sher Alam is a gun-maker who has his son working for him. He believes that all men should work. Not only that, but he has no one to assist him in his workshop but his son. To him, work is a very respectable chore and his son should take pride in it. Instead, Naiz dreams of going to school. It seems that his dream is pretty unobtainable, but it does not detour his wishes for an education.

The film is shot to center around Naiz. He talks to the elders around him about his desires to go to school, to gain an education. Some of the adults even speak to his father about this, but his father will not listen. He cannot fathom a poor man or child going to school.

Naiz seems to not have friends other than those older than him. While he talks openly to his elders, he does not socialize so well with those his own age. There is a scene by a swimming hole where some boys come and harass him, ask him to swim with them, and then harass him some more. While this is going on Nais says nothing. His silence says enough, that he is not leading what we understand to be a child’s life.

There is some discussion amongst the father and his friends about America and September 11th over tea. While I find this an authentic conversation between friends in a foreign country, I can see where some people might be offended by this debate or subject matter. I’ll be curious to read others reviews about it. To me, it is interesting to see other countries and groups of people discussing America. At one point they make a comment about how America can either make or break you.

The history and culture surrounding their lives play a big part in the movie. There seems to not only be a respect for elders, but Naiz father seems to feel that he is owed respect for fighting with his people and beating the Russians. They are a very proud culture that centers around fulfilling ones life duty and responsibilities.

The director decided to use non-professional actors while filming in Pakistan. I really feel that this payed off because the film has more of an authentic feel! He also was pretty determined from what I understand. Some parts of Pakistan are not exactly welcome to foreigners, yet he continued to travel and film. This also adds to a more realistic air.

This film is a bit rough around the edges, but I feel that keeping it a bit rough just adds character to the story. I think that it is definitely worth checking out, but bring your glasses for the subtitles!

[Overall: 3.25 stars out of 5]

S.L.I.F.F. Review: ‘Pray the Devil Back to Hell’

Melissa:

It’s hard not to be moved by this documentary. The women’s movement for peace in Liberia is both moving and inspiring. Pray the Devil Back to Hell does a great job in telling their story.

in 1989, a civil war broke out in Liberia. Led by Charles Taylor, he assembled his own group of rebels, and between them and the Liberian Army attacking civilians, no one was safe. Liberians were forced to live amongst the civil war for a decade. Their children had to live in the fear of being recruited into the war. The women, both young and old had to live in fear of being raped, and they all had the fear of either being killed or having their family members massacred. Under Taylor’s rule, his goup of radicals slowly gained control of most of the country.

Finally, the women of Liberia had enough. They soon assembled together, both Christians and Muslims, and put their desire for peace into action. Through sit ins, nonviolence, and staying strong, these women started an entire peace movement that could not be ignored any longer. All of these events led to the Accra Comprehensive Peace Agreement, and the resignation of Charles Taylor as President.

This film shows historic clips that are quite disturbing. Children with guns, bodies, families running away from gunshots with their young children, and total civilian chaos help to show just some of their struggle, without being overly graphic. Some of the key players involved in the peace movement are interviewed as well. For living in such a terrifying situation, they tell their tales in a very articulate fashion that is both distressing and uplifting.

The women interviewed… Janet Johnson Bryant, Etweda Cooper, Vaiba Flomo, Leymah Gbowee, Asatu Bah Kenneth, and Etty Weah, tell their story with pride. There are still tears shed for the horror that they not only witnessed, but lived through, but there is an overall sense of peace ad accomplishment. What is even more impressive is to hear how they now forgive the young soldiers who ran amok amongst their communities. Instead of holding on to hate, some are involved in programs to rehabilitate these individuals who were once gun toting degenerates. That takes a strength that I cannot even imagine!

It’s hard not to be inspired by a story that involves people mobilizing in a peaceful fashion and standing up for their rights. The way that they remained nonviolent was very Gandhian. They used their voices and their presence for impact.

[Overall: 4 stars out of 5]

Festival Screening Date: Friday, November 21 @ 7:00pm (Tivoli)

S.L.I.F.F. Review: ‘Yesterday Was a Lie’

Travis:

There’s just something about a movie that’s so different and mysteriously odd that I just can’t refuse. ‘Yesterday Was a Lie’ is St. Louis native James Kerwin’s third film, and like his previous two, you better go see this during the festival because you ain’t gonna find it on DVD. In short, this film is like David Lynch’s Lost Highway meets X-Files paranormal psychology, shot as a film noir with some science-fiction added for flavor. Sound mind-boggling? Well, not really, but it will keep you thinking.

Hoyle (Kipleigh Brown) is a female detective who finds herself obsessively trying to track down a mysterious genius (John Newton) who she believes holds the answers to her questions. When she’s not tipping the whiskey, she struggles with a sense that something is not right in the universe. Enduring feelings of deja vu and disorientated moments of non-linear time, Hoyle slowly pieces together the truth of reality and the power to manipulate what we traditionally perceive as real time. Hoyle is guided through these revelations by a lounge singer, played by Chase Masterson (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine).

Characters in the film are reminiscent of of a style similar to David Lynch… odd, lurking and mysterious. I noticed throughout the film a certain sense of sarcasm, subtly poking at itself. The mood is dark and gritty but melodramatic at the same time. ‘Yesterday Was a Lie’ plays on the entire basket of film noir cliche’s, but does it effectively. On several occasions, I caught faint hints of a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. You really have to be “in the zone” to catch ’em though, because they’re down-played so much. For example, early in the film Hoyle and her partner (Mik Scriba) are entering a suspicious hallway filled with doors. Hoyle asks a man in the background which door to choose and he replies “the green one.” Hoyle gives her partner a subtle look and he replies with a descriptive direction. Of course she can’t determine which door is green when her world is in black and white! It’s moments like these that offer the film buffs in the crowd a tiny little moment of comic relief… a sort of inside joke, if you will.

The cinematography is shot in black and white, but has been done so with the lighting in mind. There’s nothing worse than when someone makes a film they call a film noir, simply because its in black and white. True film noir must include the heavily contrasted, beautifully strategic lighting that becomes its own character. ‘Yesterday Was a Lie’ does this very well, despite the technological setbacks of the digital medium. Kerwin also does a remarkable job with the score, which truly stands out in creating the mood of the individual scenes. The film isn’t perfect, but it certainly isn’t boring. Keep you’re head in the game on this one and stick it out and I promise you won’t regret it.

[Overall: 3.75 stars out of 5]

Festival Screening Date: Saturday, November 22 @ 9:30pm (Webster U.)

S.L.I.F.F. Review: ‘Yeast’

Melissa:

Oh wait! I get it! Irritated women†¦ the reference to a woman’s body part when they are angry†¦ that part can become irritated… all that equals Yeast†¦ Clever name!

Normally, I am not very easy to offend, but I cannot believe that a woman made a movie about bitchy, angry women and named it after an infection. Place that with horrible acting, the fact that the actors can’t even yell at each other without laughing, and a horrible storyline that revolves around non-constructive bitching. All three of them have serious issues!

Let’s see, how can I give you a character synopsis of this film?

There’s Gen (Greta Gerwig), a hippy-esk pothead who spazzes out way too much. She’s one of those chicks who always acts on impulse, like a child. She even hits and kicks when she is angry.

Alice is played by Amy Judd. She is one of those bitchy friends who keeps everything bottled up and gives you the cold shoulder until†¦wait for it†¦ she either hits you or throws her cereal on you! Alice does her bitching in a more silent and straightforward way.

And now†¦ the main event†¦ Rachel (Mary Bronstein) is the worst! She pretends to be the rational one but she is just as crazy!!! She claims to want to talk out her problems with her whack-job friends, but slides in bitchy insults along the way. No wonder the only friends that she can acquire are equally as crazy!

I enjoyed how this movie was shot, looking very homemade, but that was about the only positive quality. In no way did I enjoy this movie! I didn’t even enjoy it on the “it’s so bad that it’s good† level. Don’t give me the artsy excuse either! I understand artsy but using it for this movie is a cop out!

So, in order not to be more like the film†¦ no more bitching†¦

[Overall: 0.25 stars out of 5]

Festival Screening Date: Friday, November 14 @ 7:15pm (Tivoli)

S.L.I.F.F. Review: ‘Number One With a Bullet’

Travis:

What is the truth behind the current state of violence in America? This is the central question in ‘Number One With a Bullet’, a new documentary from James Dziura that tackles the underlying social roots of gun violence in America. Dziura does a good job of spreading his scope of the film out wider than other recent films on the same topic. The film doesn’t strictly focus on inner city violence and gangs, but the subjects of the film are generally derived from the rap and hip-hop genres of music and culture. In contrast, Dziura occasionally places the more right wing cultures of America side by side with that of the hip-hop culture for inspection, revealing some disturbing realizations.

‘Number One With a Bullet’ features interviews with some major hip-hop personalities, including Ice Cube, Mos Def and Obie Trice. The film is actually structured more like a book with several chapters than the more straight forward three act formula. The draw back of this however is that the film eventually starts to wear the viewer down and sort of gets lost in itself. The recognizable personalities in the film give their own personal stories of experience and opinions on what’s really happening.

This is a documentary that offers a lot of valuable information to anyone who wants to understand beyond the mere perception of what causes and stimulates the violence we experience in this country. It’s not simply a matter of violent video games, poor parenting or gangster rap music… but these are all small measures of influence that fuel an already blazing inferno that has existed in America for years. It also becomes apparent that there are more than just two sides of this debate. ‘Number One With a Bullet’ is an extremely thoughtful and informative study of this issue, but falters slightly with a 101 minute running time and a somewhat disorganized approach.

[Overall: 3 stars out of 5]

Festival Screening Date: Sunday, November 16 @ 4:30pm (Tivoli)

S.L.I.F.F. Review: ‘Special’

Ram Man:

This one took the long way to the local theater. Originally released in 2006  in England, making stops in Austin, Texas and killing at Sundance, ‘Special’ is finally set to be released in the U.S.A. Michael Rapaport (Prison Break) plays the lead character, Les, who goes from ordinary to extraordinary with just one pill. And they say “No” to drugs. Les (Rappaport) is a meter-maid who dreams of being more that just the average “joe”. Les signs up for an experimental drug test for some extra cash that has heroic side effects… to Les.   The medication known as Special and looks like Buy Viagra in AU, after just one dose has Les thinking he can levitate, read people thoughts, and he can walk through walls. He runs to share the news with his friends Joey and Everett (Josh Peck, Robert Baker) at the comic book store. Joey and Everett think Les is fooling around and think nothing of the imaginary powers. Les decides to become the next “Dark Knight” combing the streets looking for criminals to bring to justice. After a few sightings by mini-mart surveillance cameras of Les “tackling” would-be criminals, the police are on his trail. Les comes up with a silver jumpsuit resembling Gort from ‘The Day The Earth Stood Still’ with the logo for the medication “Special” on his back. Dr. Dobson (Jack Kehler) who was running the test, sees Les’ alter ego and knows they are in big trouble. Enter the “suits” from the drug company, Jonas and Ted Exiler, brothers that have purchased the drug and plan to turn it into millions. the last thing they need is a lawsuit from a meter maid that thinks he’s Bat Man. In a frantic race to the climax of the film everyone is after Les. His friends want to help him, his doctor wants to get the medication out of his system, and the suits want him quiet or dead! Michael Rapaport is a wonderful character actor and provides a few laughs in this touching film about an ordinary guy who just want to do the right thing. This is an art-house film and may not be at the local mega-plex. So take the time to locate it when it’s playing in your area. Anyone in St. Louis, the St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF) is showing ‘Special’ on Monday November 17th at 9:15 pm. at the Plaza Frontenac Theater. [Overall: 3.75 stars out of 5] Festival Screening Date: Monday, November 17 @ 9:15pm (Frontenac)