Review of God Bless America (2012) by John K — 17 Oct 2015

I'm just very, very disappointed. It's a sad thing to see a genius filmmaker as Bobcat Goldthwait squander his abilities, and make a film that is mesmerizingly ugly from start to finish. God Bless America is a catastrophe.

I'm a Syracuse guy, and I shouldn't be talking so harshly about anything Bobcat, but I'm sorry, this is just... really unpleasant. It's a comment about the hypocrisies, and downright cruelest aspects of American, capitalist society, and it fails miserably at making it's point worth thinking about.

It obviously takes it's cues from Taxi Driver, Natural Born Killers and Falling Down; movies that focus on misfits who are disgusted with American culture, and become murderers. The difference between those movies and this one, is that they all raise interesting questions about our culture, and are written brilliantly, with characters we can understand and empathize with.

The two characters in this movie are just detestable losers. One is a working class slob who is so heart broken over the meanness of American society, and the other is a quasi hipster, Maoist little girl who just wants to kill people that are annoying to her.

I felt absolutely nothing for them. Their mission is just, simply, America is an awful place, with mean people, let's kill them all. The only thing remotely likable about these characters, are the actors themselves, who give serviceable, even good performances.

Joel Murray does all he can, and succeeds in bringing that classic Murray family malaise to the role. Tara Lynne Barr has a thespian charm to her sadistic character. Yet, it all doesn't work. Perhaps it's because I saw this movie in the wake of the shootings in Aurora, Oregon and the church in Charleston.

Perhaps it's because serial mass shooters are so common, that to sympathize with them would be just ridiculous at this point. But that's not what makes this an awful movie. It's just written stupidly.

It thinks it's making a smart, socialist comment, but in reality, it's just saying "Kill those whom you disagree with.". It's a base argument, soaked in a river of blood and guts.

Tarantino this isn't. I also don't want to hear the fact that it's a comedy, because I didn't laugh. Bobcat, you're a talented, wonderful man, but I'm embarrassed for you.