Husband and wife Jared and Jerusha Hess made a name for themselves with a low-budget movie about a socially awkward teenager with a single guardian, an unwanted house guest, a “special” talent and an unusual love interest. The film was endeared for its depictions of ugly people, mythical creatures, a bizarre Hispanic and bad drawing.
Those who loved “Napoleon Dynamite” will also love “Gentlemen Broncos,” which features the same unwitting nerds, uncomfortable silences and awkward exits that propelled the Hess’ first film to its cult status. Even those who hated the Hess debut will at least be pleased by the coherent plot structure in “Gentlemen Broncos.”
The film tells the story of Benjamin Purvis, a teenage science fiction author, as he quietly watches his best work botched by an amateur filmmaker and stolen by his idol. At the same time, he must deal with his clueless single mother, his snake-wielding Big- Brother type guardian, an unwanted admirer and a homicidal dress-maker, all while trying to make his dead father proud.
A stellar cast keeps “Gentlemen Broncos” from slipping into complete absurdity.
Michael Angarano nails Benjamin’s perpetual hang-dog look, while Jennifer Coolidge of “American Pie” fame scores laughs early on as Benjamin’s oblivious and overbearing mother (“I heated up the water bottle so you can sit on it during the ride”). Meanwhile,
Mike White’s portrayal of Benjamin’s “Guardian Angel,” Dusty, is downright creepy. The best performances by far, however, are those of Halley Feiffer and Jemaine Clement. Feiffer, a relative newcomer, stands out as teen romance writer Tabatha Jenkins. “Flight of the Conchords’” Clement portrays the austere and arrogant Dr. Ronald Chevalier, a washed-up, Bluetooth-wearing science fiction writer who writes about Cyborg Harpies and paints his own horrendous cover art without a drop of irony.
Sure, the film will have its detractors. Many will decry the script for its copious amounts of gross-out humor, derived from snake feces, vomit and the male nether regions. But watching Angarano keep a straight face while selling “two for one Popcorn Balls,” places “Gentlemen Broncos” miles above straight-to-DVD Comedy Central fodder.
In fact, the film’s only weakness is its total lack of denouement. The film builds up for 84 minutes and doesn’t really resolve in the last five. But even that can’t prevent “Gentlemen Broncos” from becoming the Hess’ greatest film to date.
