Review of Gentlemen Broncos (2009) by Niki S — 28 Mar 2010

I loved the opening sequence. In fact that title sequence is up there with my favourites. It is a shame then that it was all downhill from there.

This film takes the quirkiness of Napoleon Dynamite and magnifies it to unbearable degrees. The characters become so unbelievable that it is impossible to care for them. This is unfortunate as below the surface there is a story of a lost son trying to immortalize his dead father and gain the respect of his mother. The director also seems interest in the poverty that exists on the margins but this is never truly delved into.

This is all a shame as the plot itself is quite interesting. It even goes in two directions unexpectedly. An author is stealing the protagonists ideas, and his friends are mangling his intentions in their adaptation. The one light of hope remains Jemaine Clement who manages to play his character so perfectly.

Did the snake really need to shit all over the place? That sequence truly undermines any of the films intentions.