Brigsby Bear is a film especially made for teenage fans who’ve grown up on a diet of science fiction/fantasy properties.
Having a cast and crew dominated by comedians from Saturday Night Live (SNL), it is but obvious the film will bring forth the laughs.
SNL’s Dave McCarry directs this poignant tale of a young man, kidnapped as a child, who later goes on to make a film about his favourite cartoon character.
Yet, his journey is far from being a bed of roses.
James Pope (Kyle Mooney) lives in an underground shelter with his kidnappers, Ted Mitchum (Mark Hamill) and Clare (Claire Danes), who pose as his parents. Isolated from the rest of the world, James spends his entire childhood in an underground bunker, following a single cartoon show named Brigsby Bear, created by his ‘father’.
Years later, the now grown-up James is rescued by cops when they raid the shelter and he is soon reunited with his real parents (played by Matt Walsh and Michaela Watkins). They do their best to introduce James to human norms and mainstream films.
But James, whose only constant through the years had been Brigsy Bear, is surprised to learn he’s been the solo viewer of the show. Ready to introduce his childhood through a film of his own, James goes on to write and act in Brigsby Bear with people he meets along the way, including his sister, Aubrey (Ryan Simpkins) and Detective Vogel (Greg Kinnear).
As the film unspools, what really works for it is the way James’ character is flushed out by McCarry. Young audience members will certainly be able to relate to James’ love for his favourite character, who has had a larger-than-life impact on him. Meanwhile, the older viewers can find James relatable for his struggle to fit in with social groups of different ages.
James’ conversations prove a constant source for humour as he learns to speak like a regular person by listening to his peers and use their vocabulary.
The film’s 97-minute run is adequate to convey the conflict within and James’ ability to overcome his inner demons.
Dialogues are kept to a minimal, yet narrate a straightforward story.
However, what fails for the film is its inability to do justice and flush out the characters of its supporting cast. The kidnappers play a major role as far as the story is concerned, but aren’t given enough screen time for the audience to understand why they became criminals.
The film loses its grip further in its inability to answer a major question: why was James kidnapped in the first place?
The strategic casting of Mark Hamill serves the purpose of targeting the film to science fiction/fantasy film genre fans. Hamill isn’t the only factor that would attract audiences. From costumes inspired by Wicket W. Warrick (with Return of the Jedi to his credit) this film takes inspiration from the iconic Star Wars franchise that has enamoured fans.
As a director, McCarry has potential; if only he took the time to develop his characters rather than approach them like another SNL skit, the audience could walk away without scratching their heads in vain.
— Viraj Asher is an intern with tabloid! Gulf News
Don’t miss it
Brigsby Bear is now playing at Vox Cinemas, Mall of the Emiartes as part of DIFF365@Vox.
