Army of One. (15.)
Directed by Larry Charles.
Starring Nicolas Cage, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Raine Wilson, Denis O' Hare, Matthew Modine and Russell Brand. 92 mins. Available on VOD.
All I had read about this film said it was terrible, but the idea of Nicolas Cage playing Gary “fear is my last name” Faulkner in a film from the director of Borat, with Russell Brand as God, was something my curiosity couldn't resist. Much like a construction worker who is chosen by God to try and sail to Pakistan and capture Bin Laden single handedly, I wouldn't listen to sense.
The film is indeed terrible; but it is also a remarkable study in tolerance. Cage plays Faulkner as a hyperactive, loud mouth patriot with a whiny voice, a sustained feat of unbearability. Cage performance is like the kind of noise the FBI broadcast into siege situations to try and make them give up. Yet, in a land filled with guns and short tempers, Cage's version of Faulkner's made it into his forties and has a girlfriend and buddies. And when he goes to Northern Pakistan, “One of the hairiest places on Earth,” he can walk around with a sword without getting killed or attacked. He seems to get on famously with everyone.
Larry Charles has unimpeachable comedy credentials (Seinfeld, Curb) but this is a shambles. It seems to have been stitched together from whatever they could salvage from the shoot, as the realisation sank in that absolutely nothing about it worked. Comedy is hard, and sometimes that happens. What is so annoying about Army of One is that Faulkner and his story are gold; watching him on Youtube clips is compelling and told straight it would practically make itself. Few stories have less need for the application of wacky; and few characters have less need for being Nicolas Caged.
.
Directed by Larry Charles.
Starring Nicolas Cage, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Raine Wilson, Denis O' Hare, Matthew Modine and Russell Brand. 92 mins. Available on VOD.
All I had read about this film said it was terrible, but the idea of Nicolas Cage playing Gary “fear is my last name” Faulkner in a film from the director of Borat, with Russell Brand as God, was something my curiosity couldn't resist. Much like a construction worker who is chosen by God to try and sail to Pakistan and capture Bin Laden single handedly, I wouldn't listen to sense.
The film is indeed terrible; but it is also a remarkable study in tolerance. Cage plays Faulkner as a hyperactive, loud mouth patriot with a whiny voice, a sustained feat of unbearability. Cage performance is like the kind of noise the FBI broadcast into siege situations to try and make them give up. Yet, in a land filled with guns and short tempers, Cage's version of Faulkner's made it into his forties and has a girlfriend and buddies. And when he goes to Northern Pakistan, “One of the hairiest places on Earth,” he can walk around with a sword without getting killed or attacked. He seems to get on famously with everyone.
Larry Charles has unimpeachable comedy credentials (Seinfeld, Curb) but this is a shambles. It seems to have been stitched together from whatever they could salvage from the shoot, as the realisation sank in that absolutely nothing about it worked. Comedy is hard, and sometimes that happens. What is so annoying about Army of One is that Faulkner and his story are gold; watching him on Youtube clips is compelling and told straight it would practically make itself. Few stories have less need for the application of wacky; and few characters have less need for being Nicolas Caged.
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