Friday, October 26, 2007

Outside the Bubble - "Randy and The Mob"

There are a couple of regionally produced films, with exceptional 'gay themes', on the indie circuit right now, that don't seem to be getting much notice "out there", so here's my contribution to their efforts.

RANDY AND THE MOB (dir. Ray McKinnon, US, 2007, 99 mins.) Ray McKinnon (Oscar winner for his short "The Accountant") has taken on quite the responsibility of writing, directing and starring himself as a man in trouble with 'the mob', who seeks the help of his gay twin brother. He has given quite a few interviews here in Atlanta (the film was principally shot in Douglasville) about the challenges of directing himself in a dual role. However, he performs it seamlessly. Perhaps most surprisingly, considering the possibility of turning the gay twin into a caricature, it is actually the straight brother who more closely resembles the 'Southern bumpkin' stereotype than the gay twin being a "Southern queen". In fact, the most fascinating and fully developed characters in the film are the supporting roles of the gay twin's life partner (played by Tim DeKay) and the mobster's 'hit man', who is portrayed in one of the quirkiest performances of the year by Walton Goggins. He is a 'metrosexual', zen-practicing, clogging and gourmet cooking ex-convict, sent to manage 'Randy's business as he works to pay back his loan to 'the mob.' McKinnon's real-life wife and co-producer, Lisa Blount, delivers an equally effective performance as 'Randy's wife, a depressed baton twirling teacher, with carpal tunnel syndrome.

The plot of the film treads dangerously close to "wacky", yet the performances are what keep it from treading into cute and mmurky waters. I'm sure it is headed onto home video as you read, so go get it!

Maxxxxx says
re RANDY AND THE MOB: cackles!

No comments: