How does one write a review for a movie with that kind of title? A title that people asking for a ticket are going to mispronounce nine times out of ten. I know I did. "I'm here for the screening of Cumscrubber:" Luckily the guy at the door had heard this variation a few times and just laughed handing me the booklet and ticket so I got in the doors just in time as Lawrence Bender was on stage saying a few words about the movie and his part in producing. Can't remember exactly what he said since I was busy making the decision of "ass or crotch" while scooting to my seat.
Personally I can see the comparisons to American Beauty if only in a slight sense, the Donnie Darko part I don't really get at all. I had read the review from Moriarty that afternoon before leaving and I had to admit my curiosity was peaked. Movies like Donnie Darko and American Beauty are tough to pull off and it's rare Hollywood even tries. That said; The Chumscrubber is not as dark as either of those movies instead it plays more with the cynical humor of the situation presented. It deals with the drug use in the film as more of a slap to the face then a punch to the back of the head like Trainspotting. It doesn't relentlessly pound you with the evils of drug use or get overly preachy.
The message isn't lost however it's there in your face as the parents run about their various busy bee lifestyles planning weddings, selling vitamins, seducing every piece of man meat that comes within arms reach, while they grieve, while they hock their books, and while they dream about aquatic animals. These are the parents who find their kids huddled in a closet sniffing paint thinner and wonder whose fault it is. These are the parents of the kind of kids who end up hospitalized after an attempt at erotic asphyxiation that turn around and wonder if late night cable is to blame. The parents of every drug dealing violent little turd who blames the video game industry and Eminem for their failure. Watching these people go about it I could place someone I know into each one of these parts (with the exception of the Mayor, he was pretty out there) and I wish I couldn't. These people are more roommates then families, everyone is doing their own thing and nobody cares about anyone but themselves. You nearly expect to see Mom writing her name on the Orange Juice.
Dean (Jamie Bell) is the one person in the film who actually proclaims his distaste at the life around him and yet at the same time he's the only person doing something for someone besides himself. Jamie is great in this movie, and with a cast like this movie has it's not an easy crowd to be seen in even if you're the star of the movie. He plays Dean like a kid whose life is just stalled out and just wants to be left to enjoy the free fall in a haze of pills while he mutes everyone and everything else out. Unfortunately some of the other pill heads need him to get their hands on the stash left behind after Dean's pal Troy kills himself. It's left to Dean to try and save some poor hapless kid who is being held hostage for pills.
The plot isn't terribly complex and I don't think it strives to be more then the sum of its parts. It's not nearly as head scratching as Donnie Darko and doesn't focus solely on Dean instead choosing to show this quit little suburban community as it's main character. I don't mean this as a negative rather it's just an interesting chose to paint in broad strokes rather then be a spot light on just Dean's life and teen drug use. It works well for the point of this story and if I had to compare it to something I'd compare it to cherry flavored Nyquil; it's a bitter and nasty but somehow it's got that entirely nice all too tasty sugar flavor to make it easier to digest.
I think the movie is going to find its cult status, and who knows a Chumscrubber action figure with head flinging action would go nicely next to my Frank the Bunny figure.
Personally I can see the comparisons to American Beauty if only in a slight sense, the Donnie Darko part I don't really get at all. I had read the review from Moriarty that afternoon before leaving and I had to admit my curiosity was peaked. Movies like Donnie Darko and American Beauty are tough to pull off and it's rare Hollywood even tries. That said; The Chumscrubber is not as dark as either of those movies instead it plays more with the cynical humor of the situation presented. It deals with the drug use in the film as more of a slap to the face then a punch to the back of the head like Trainspotting. It doesn't relentlessly pound you with the evils of drug use or get overly preachy.
The message isn't lost however it's there in your face as the parents run about their various busy bee lifestyles planning weddings, selling vitamins, seducing every piece of man meat that comes within arms reach, while they grieve, while they hock their books, and while they dream about aquatic animals. These are the parents who find their kids huddled in a closet sniffing paint thinner and wonder whose fault it is. These are the parents of the kind of kids who end up hospitalized after an attempt at erotic asphyxiation that turn around and wonder if late night cable is to blame. The parents of every drug dealing violent little turd who blames the video game industry and Eminem for their failure. Watching these people go about it I could place someone I know into each one of these parts (with the exception of the Mayor, he was pretty out there) and I wish I couldn't. These people are more roommates then families, everyone is doing their own thing and nobody cares about anyone but themselves. You nearly expect to see Mom writing her name on the Orange Juice.
Dean (Jamie Bell) is the one person in the film who actually proclaims his distaste at the life around him and yet at the same time he's the only person doing something for someone besides himself. Jamie is great in this movie, and with a cast like this movie has it's not an easy crowd to be seen in even if you're the star of the movie. He plays Dean like a kid whose life is just stalled out and just wants to be left to enjoy the free fall in a haze of pills while he mutes everyone and everything else out. Unfortunately some of the other pill heads need him to get their hands on the stash left behind after Dean's pal Troy kills himself. It's left to Dean to try and save some poor hapless kid who is being held hostage for pills.
The plot isn't terribly complex and I don't think it strives to be more then the sum of its parts. It's not nearly as head scratching as Donnie Darko and doesn't focus solely on Dean instead choosing to show this quit little suburban community as it's main character. I don't mean this as a negative rather it's just an interesting chose to paint in broad strokes rather then be a spot light on just Dean's life and teen drug use. It works well for the point of this story and if I had to compare it to something I'd compare it to cherry flavored Nyquil; it's a bitter and nasty but somehow it's got that entirely nice all too tasty sugar flavor to make it easier to digest.
I think the movie is going to find its cult status, and who knows a Chumscrubber action figure with head flinging action would go nicely next to my Frank the Bunny figure.