Review of A Bag of Hammers (2011) by Paul S — 21 Jan 2013

While starting out as one of those "quirky" comedies, the film really isn't a comedy at all, though it does attempt to retain the quirkiness.

Of course it didn't help that several later scenes that I believe were supposed to be funny were truly reaching; to the point of almost being offensive (as when one of the two grifters has to go at it alone and is reduced to being tempted to rob little old ladies of their purses).

I feel that the back story - that of abused childhood (hence the title) had enough heft to be the sole theme of this film and that the comic elements could have been left out entirely (or at least the more overt ones). The script, when it focuses on the back story, is adequate; as is the acting of Jason Ritter and Jake Sandvig as the two grifters - they are loose enough in that slacker kind of way, and able to carry the wood when the film reveals the pained underside. Precocious kiddy number 9000 is aptly performed by Chandler Canterbury (there's a stage name if I've ever seen one), who manages to make me feel sorry for him as all he wants is someone to care about him (it's obvious that his mother does not). That at least one of the grifters does care is the major turning point of the plot and what gives this film a marginal passing grade - that and the ability to remain in costume; keeping the laissez faire slacker mentality and air of light joviality in spite of the dark underpinnings.

I was drawn to this film because the daughter of a friend worked on the costumes (which are lowbrow LA kitch and so normal you don't notice that they are costumes at all). Normally, just by the title alone, I would have steered clear, and really the title is unfortunate as this could easily be dismissed as a screwball comedy - it's not, and while certainly not a great film, I was pleasantly surprised by the dramatic element. At least the film knew that it was straddling a precarious fence, as during the closing credits it includes a scene where one of the grifters is seen in a hardware store looking at hammers. In the next scene as the 3 main characters are throwing hammers at bottles, one turns to the other and says "you know that this is a pretty obvious metaphor, right?" To which the other replies, "Yeah, but it makes a nice visual". That just about sums up the tone of the film.