A business course on aggressive commercialism disguised as a slacker comedy: Thats the kindest method to explain Michael Lehmanns Flakes, a film that shares the smug, hipper-than-thou perceptiveness of its sour protagonist, Neal Downs (Aaron Stanford).
A hopeful rock musician who handles a New Orleans eatery where the only costs of fare is breakfast cereal, Neal is a reflexively sarcastic deadbeat whose equally sour girlfriend, Pussy Katz (Zooey Deschanel), shares his bohemian dream of traveling the country in an Airstream trailer, making music and art.
The walls of the dining establishment, called Flakes, are lined with cereal boxes, consisting of uncommon discontinued brand names. As https://messiahzurk210.hatenablog.com/entry/2020/12/05/210704 clients slop up unique mixes, the motion picture suggests a deadpan spoof of premium fetishism. One house specialized chocolate-flavored grains steeped in chocolate milk sounds especially nauseating.
Owned by Willie (Christopher Lloyd), a decrepit hippie geezer with mad-scientist hair, Flakes hops along as a hangout for deadbeats until a bright-eyed yuppie visitor, Stuart (Keir ODonnell), proposes turning it into a profitable franchise. When Willie and Neal reveal no interest, Stuart develops a competing Flakes across the street, and the New Orleans cereal wars begin.
Wanting to put Stuart out of service, Neal begins playing dirty tricks, the nastiest of which is the distribution of fliers to the homeless appealing 10 free bowls per customer at his competitors facility. The prank sets off a near-riot that Stuart skillfully relies on his benefit.
Neals new live-in relationship with Pussy begins to curdle when she turns traitor and goes to work for the competition, hoping that the death of the initial Flakes will leave Neal with time to complete his CD. If the name of atrioventricular bundle, Cereal Killers, is completely chosen, its music is a joke.
Once legal representatives become involved in the dispute, the movies anti-establishment attitude evaporates, as does the tiny little bit of levity Flakes has actually generated.
FLAKES
Opens on Wednesday in Manhattan; also on Video as needed.
Directed by Michael Lehmann; written by Chris Poche and Karey Kirkpatrick; director of photography, Nancy Schreiber; modified by Nicholas C. Smith; music by Jason Derlatka and Jon Ehrlich; produced by Gary Winick and Jake Abraham; released by IFC First Take. At the IFC Center, 323 Avenue of the Americas, at Third Street, Greenwich Town. Running time: 1 hour 24 minutes. This movie is not rated.
WITH: Aaron Stanford (Neal Downs), Zooey Deschanel (Miss Pussy Katz), Christopher Lloyd (Willie), Frank Wood (Bruce), Ryan Donowho (Skinny Larry), Izabella Miko (Strawberry) and Keir ODonnell (Stuart).