Just saw this at the Phoenix Film Festival where it won the coveted Best Film Award. Suffice to say, I'm not quite sure why it won this award. I saw much better films at the festival. This was nothing special. Basically, about a struggling Italian character actor who decides to take matters into his own enraged hands to achieve his big break after pilfering in the rediculous film industry for too long. I was impressed with the cast they managed to get, esp. all the celebrity cameos. However, I felt this film felt like an old episode of "Tales From the Crypt" where the actor kills his competition more than anything else. I loved the climatic scene with the actor and and undercover cop who, for some rediculous reason, also happens to be very talented, but that's about it. I found the humour and plot to be very predictable and lame. The symbolism was truly putrid (Jennifer Beals gets her big casting break, then breaks her leg, how quaint!) There have been plenty of great films about the rage of rejection in the film business, murder in the entertainment industry, and paranoid psychotics, but this ain't one of them. It's amusing enough with great acting, cinematography and editing. But nothing truly memorable. Mainstream-pandering if anything else. 6/10.
Review of Break a Leg
