6/04/2012

"Applying extermination policies"

Title: God bless America
Year: 2011
Genre: Comedy, Crime
Director: Bobcat Goldthwait
Writer: Bobcat Goldthwait
Runtime: 105min
Cast: Joel Murray, Tara Lynne Barr, Mackenzie Brook Smith, Melinda Page Hamilton, Rich McDonald
Produc.: Darko Entertainment

In God Bless America, Frank (Joel Murray), an unemployed misfit, and Roxy (Lynnne Tara Barr), a rebellious teenager, unite to carry out what they both believe the U.S. has been needing for quite some time: to end with all the filth.
Many would probably see this film as a respite from the typical cinematic entertainment. God Bless America seems to be the work of a director really angry with the Americans. More precisely, we are talking about Mr. Robert Francis Goldthwait, better known as Bobcat Goldthwait, born May 26, 1962, no more and no less than in Syracuse, "United States". What leads one to wonder what might he feel, exactly, for his country. We might assume that it embarrasses him.
In God Bless America are precisely revealed, a number of reasons why any lucid U.S. resident could think, "God damn this country full of ignorants, materialistic and egocentric people." The film is, quite simply, the critique to a society in which certain sectors have been quick to fall into the worst of the decadences, and this, for example, expressed through consumerism, the disrespectful citizen and the television programs, that rather than encouraging the good individual growth, we could assume they have proposed to finish with any posible evidence of thinking beings. Bobcat does not waste a single minute and addresses some of the flaws he sees in his people, without beating around.
Frank is a divorced office worker, of about fifty years old, whose former wife is a dim-witted, his daughter a spoiled child, and his neighbors, a couple of feeble-minded, unable to quiet a baby that keeps crying all the time. All of this panorama not only lacks of positive aspects, but has also turned Frank into a time bomb. The entire society is full of inepts and someone should take hands in the matter.
Already in the first scene Frank is far from being relaxed. While watching TV (with all the crap that is in its channels) he must bear with the, already mentioned bastards next door, who are on the other side of his living room´s wall. Frank just wants some peace before returning the next day to his cubicle, surrounded by more idiots.
Bobcat takes this wonderful opportunity for us to see what is happening, internally, to Frank. Suddenly he has entered armed to his neighbor´s house, to do something good for humanity and end both with them and their baby in a radical way, at gunpoint. Fortunately, as soon as we see the situation we come out of it, as to be assured that everything has been a montaje, constructed in his fantasies.
It is highly attractive the way the director describes it to us, making use of the "idiot box", the loss of values ​​and the unfortunate course this society has taken. All Frank has before his eyes can be summarized to vandalism, jokes to politics, discrimination, advertising guidelines that set out the garbage that is sold today on the market, and the most amazing of the new television era, destructive reality shows. Of those that have the power of reducing owr reasoning to the size of a hazelnut.
Frank, who suffers from migraines, sees a doctor to be told that he has a tumor and has only little time left. After the news, the most immediate option is suicide. The thing is that the whole society has gone to hell, and given what awaits him, sees no reasons to delay his death any longer.
But suddenly, a TV show captures his attention. The turning point occurs precisely when, through a reality show, Frank finds that there are still reasons for delaying his own departure. In this particular reality, some girl called Chloe (Maddie Hasson), a blonde and attractive young teenager, with a well maintained body but horrific nature, demonstrates such a lack of brain that makes it even more visible when she says: "My name is Chloe, I live in Virginia Beach, and everyone loves me because I'm so pretty". Then we see her parents and understand that, "like father, like son." Frank certainly has had enough.
If there was ever a citizen that dare to call out "God Bless America", then one of two options: either he was raving mad, or perhaps he have had found sane and decent people, but who had then been reduced by a large majority of lunatics. Erroneous or not this phrase, Frank is willing to give it meaning, and his first goal will be that so pretty girl.
From now on and through black humor, is that are mixed some of the best examples of a daily reality, which many will, surely, feel identified with.
Soon, Frank meets Roxy, a young girl with whom he shares in many ways his general view of things, except that there is in Roxy a much more settled position. He wants to choose their victims and then just finish them up, and she instead intends to move faster and go right now to sow panic, willing of adrenaline, to kill and then celebrate it.
Roxy does not hesitate to join him in what is going to be a massacre in the style of Bonnie and Clyde, except, without the banks. Both are even wearing hats like those of their predecessor, criminal duo. Later, in a motel, Frank acquires better weapons, running from a pistol to a shotgun. And now, yes ... the real fun begins.
Bobcath Goldthwait ultimately created two characters that are able to perfectly represent human idiocy. Frank, who has his problems, of both health and for being a misfit, and who has not ocurred nothing better than, before dying, going out shooting a gun. And Roxy, who is so mad as a hatter that, to start with, has fled from two parents who loved her and now suffer her absence, arguing that she was abused at home. That is to say that, the same ones who have proposed themselves to clean up the scum, are nothing but a part of the problem.
Once the film reaches its end, we have met a director who did not spare anyone and who pretended to call the attention of those who had the fortune of not being part of that majority with limited capacities.
On my part, not being myself a resident of the United States, or being neither of American origin, little is actually what I should say in the matter. It's easy, sometimes,  to talk or criticise from the outside, but very preferable not to. Bobcat, in his viewpoint is very clear, but I initially take it as just that, a viewpoint.

My rating: 7/10


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