ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW: A QUIRKY EXPERIENCE

The most annoying aspect of independent films are that most are overly quirky. Independent films have quirky titles, quirky characters, and quirky plots. At one time seeing an Independent film meant seeing a true original idea that is turned into a memorable film. Today these films all seem to be the same. I never thought the day would come when typical Hollywood fare released in the mega-plexes each weekend would have more originality that most independent films. The characters are usually weird or more simply stated, odd. Film makers would like to believe that their audience actually know people similar to their quirky characters in their screenplays.

ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW (MYEWK) is billed as a film about how technology is involved in the relationships that isolated Americans have. OK...What does that mean? All I know is that the only technology involved in the film is the "on-line" relationship between an adult woman and a seven-year-old boy. The movie is much more simple than its official website would have you believe. For the record, most movies are. MYEWK deals with two central quirky characters. The first is Richard, a shoe salesman, played by John Hawkes. Richard is extremely aloof. His wife has recently asked him to move out and he seems content, if not happy about it. If Richard is simply aloof...I have to respect his reaction to his wife's request. If Richard isn't aloof...He might be a dumb-ass. Richard has two children and although he cares for them both, they seem to realize that their father is a tad flighty and they may have to raise themselves. Like I stated above, the seven-year-old is swapping perverted messages to an on-line chat partner. His oldest son, a young teenager, is being teased by two female classmates who want to use him as a sexual experiment. The two females feel that if they can "practice" on their classmate...they will be prepared for future sexual experiences. MYEWK is not for young viewers and justifies its "R" rating.

The second central character is Christine, played by Miranda July. July directed and produced MYEWK and her character in the film feels like its a self portrayal. Christine is an artist who deals with multi-media items such as video tape and her verbal recordings. In other words...it's art that no one wants to buy. She also works for a cab company that specializes in transporting senior citizens. The viewer takes an instant liking to Christine. One day Christine notices Richard at his shoe store. She goes ga-ga over him. The last half of the film deals with the relationship between Christine and Richard and the characters that enter their lives: Richard's children and the characters they encounter, the senior citizens that Christine deals with, Richard's friend and co-worker. The idea of interweaving plot lines is most popular in the Independent film genre. It works well in MYEWK.

Technically, MYEWK is a success. I really enjoyed the film's musical score. Its difficult to explain but most of the score sounds as if its an electric organ purchased at Wal-Mart. It's a simple score for a simple movie. ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW receives a "7".

Independent movies work best when the quirky characters are played by no-name performers. No one wants to see Harrison Ford play an odd-ball after seeing him play such characters as Indiana Jones and the President of the United States (AIR FORCE ONE "8"). When a no-name performer plays an odd-ball its as if the actor is playing themselves. Ironically...there are a plethora of odd and quirky people working in Hollywood...And they don't have to act to be that way.

John Hawkes has had bit parts in several films. Although he is not the reason for me to recommend the films below...I give you the "TOP 3 MOVIES THAT JOHN HAWKES HAS APPEARED IN...BUT NOT INCLUDING MYEWK".

1. FROM DUSK TO DAWN (1996) I consider this one of the most under-rated movies of my generation. I love watching it with someone who doesn't know the plot. They are always shocked at whot happens in the middle of the film. Hawkes has about 5 minutes of screen time. "10"

2. THE PERFECT STORM (2000) Yes, the storm actually happened. Yes, the fishing boat in question was lost at sea. But to call this a true story is ridiculous. No one will ever know what happened on the fishing bout leading up to the hours of the storm. Regardless, the film is thrilling and deserves to be viewed. Hawkes has a major supporting role in the film with lots of screen time. "7"

3. IDENTITY (2003) A good thriller with an above average twist ending. Once again Hawkes has a supporting role with at least 15 minutes of screen time. IDENTITY has a great cast which includes John Cusack, Amanda Peet, and Ray Liotta. Fans of the television series LOST will enjoy this film."7"

WHITE NOISE: WINNER OF THE GOLDEN FLEECE

Does Michael Keaton care about his movie career? Keaton is a good example of an actor who after reading an awful script decides to cash the check knowing (unless he's an idiot) that the movie will be a bomb. Examples of this are MULTIPLICITY, JACK FROST, and HERBIE: FULLY LOADED (ok, I didn't see Herbie...But I assume it won't be nominated for an Oscar). Since leaving the BATMAN franchise, Keaton has not been in many memorable roles. Even if Keaton is in a good film an argument can be made that he wasn't the reason for the film's success. 1994's THE PAPER and 1997's JACKIE BROWN were both critically acclaimed films but I don't remember any accolades being thrown Keaton's way.

Michael Keaton continues his history of bad film decisions by participating in WHITE NOISE. Keaton plays Jonathan Rivers an architect who is mourning the disappearance of his beautiful wife. After accepting the fate that he will probably never see his wife alive again he meets a strange man who tells him that his wife is trying to contact him via radio waves and recording devices...electronic voice phenomena (evp). This is an example of how truth is stranger than fiction because in real life there are actual wackos who live among us that believe in the junk science that evp is based on. The degenerates who believe in evp are the same morons who believe that one can get to the other side of the universe by hitching a ride on a tail of a comet. My only wish is that it was true...Hopefully it would be a one way ticket.

Keaton's character slowly becomes obsessed with trying to communicate with his wife by staying up all night listening to radio static...I guess it beats listening to rap music. Up to this point the movie is an average thriller that kept my interest. What happened to Jonathon's wife? Will Jonathan contact her? The movie goes south when the villains are introduced. I'll call the villains the 3 shadows because they appear as shadows on television screens. The 3 shadows seem to be terrorizing the dead people who are trying to contact their loved ones via radio air-waves. I never really understood why the 3 shadows were doing this. As the movie continues it is revealed that the dead people are trying to warn their loved ones that other people will be killed if they don't stop the 3 shadows. Somehow the dead people can foresee the future with their e.s.p. ability. The movie also reveals that the 3 shadows have control over a man who is killing people. Difficult to understand? I agree. The movie would have worked if it simply would have concentrated on the dead wife that is trying to contact her husband story. The movie never explains who or what the 3 shadows are and never explains what its motives are. Villains must have motives. If the motives of the villains are not explained...How can the audience root for the good guy?

I'm giving WHITE NOISE a "5". Audiences that don't see many movies will enjoy the film's attempts at scaring them (Please see the Ring 2 review). Experienced film fans will enjoy the first half of the movie and will be disappointed at the lack of intelligence in the second and third acts.

Why did I pay money to see WHITE NOISE? Although the movie was lame...It did have one thing going for it...Its trailer. The preview of the film was great. The trailer didn't actually show too much of the film. The trailer simply showed/played sound bites of supposedly actually real life examples of the the electronic voice phenomena. After the sound bite was done a voice-over explained that this recording was made on a certain date by Jane Doe...Jane Doe was killed in a car accident 3 years before this recording was made. The trailer was well made and instantly had me asking myself questions like: What the hell? Obviously this phenomena doesn't exist but the trailer raised enough interest that made the public want to see the film. Typically, film's released in January don't make money. White Noise made close to 60 million at the box office. The film was critically panned by professional critics.

All of the work on the trailer paid off. It won the "Golden Fleece" award at the 2005 Golden Trailer Awards. The "Golden Fleece" award goes to the trailer that makes an awful movie look good. Basically it's an award for dooping the American movie-going public. Thanks a lot Hollywood.