Review of Wah Do Dem (2010) by Mike M — 24 Aug 2010

Exudes a certain winning low-key charm... Between the crisp photography of New York by night, the bright island colours and its fleeting Norah Jones cameo, frankly it looks too good for mumblecore, and the clearance costs for the hipster soundtrack alone would presumably keep an Andrew Bujalski funded for the rest of their career.

Where "Wah Do Dem" really differentiates and distinguishes itself, though, is in its ability to look beyond its protagonist's narrow worldview. The cruise takes place in the week leading up to the 2008 Presidential election, and Chace and Fleischner are vaguely critical of their self-absorbed slacker of a lead, drifting through life - all skateboards and headphones - until he's forced to reconnect with those around him; "The Harder They Come"'s Carl Bradshaw enters at a crucial juncture as a village mystic leading this errant knight back to the path of righteousness.

If you were feeling less than tolerant, you might note the film's resemblance to an overstretched Gap Year anecdote, but the writer-directors are better placed to appreciate the value of lived experience: finally - and unlike a lot of mumblecore - "Wah Do Dem" goes somewhere.