I went to the bare Bones film festival in Muskogee two weeks ago and was so glad to catch The Rat Thing. Before I saw it, I was being pelted with such problematic films that I was about to leave.
Succinctly put. 5 reasons you should see this film:
Dialogue. The dialogue of The Rat Thing was so impressive to me that I was taken back to a time when words actually carried weight. I was very impressed and have had a hard time watching anything since the screening. It was beyond David Mamet because it wasn't trying to be David Mamet. It was effortless and perfectly timed without taking a huge amount of energy on my part to become accustomed to the patterns and jargon of the piece.
Cinematography. The cinematography was the best. It was shot on 35mm film and the DP really knew what he/she was doing. The Sound...I never even thought of the sound. It was that seamless. Just wonderful. Shots that wow you.
Production Value. You will see that the producers promise a huge location in the script and then they pay it off by taking you there at the end. Something most filmmakers may not have known to be important. It is.
Little adorable animals in the cast. No one, I repeat, No one has the balls to work with an animal. The costs are outrageous, the ability to get the animal to do what you want is nearly impossible, and being able to create real moments between you and the animal is like trying to catch lightning in a bottle. Mr. Keresy's scenes between he and the rat rise above and leave you charmed by the connection they have.
Acting. The two leads have such a connection because of their balance, that it is like watching Midnight Run. The quirky weirdo played by Michael McGee is like some endearing nut-job from Brooklyn. A scene where there is a deliberately long take is the basketball scene. After he throws the basketball over the wall, jack leaves and Joey is left to scale the wall and get it. the camera stays on him a long time as he struggles to climb it. It's truly a perfect opportunity to show his low character status and most filmmakers would have let it slip through their fingers. All the other actors are perfectly cast. Most of all, the star, Kevin Keresy who carried the film as any Hollywood name-actor would. His scenes where he befriends the rat are akin to the scenes in IRON MAN where Robert Downey Jr. talks to his robots as he tries to learn how to fly. the arc of his character is the strongest as it really is his journey. First class, two thumbs up job.
I was in Venice last week and I ran into a musician who knew Kevin Keresy for years and he mentioned that Mr. Keresy is also a martial arts master. This makes sense to me so I will mention it here. It is truly a testament to this man who probably used all the discipline and inner-power he learned to channel through his martial arts. Then he drove a small movie like The Rat Thing to not one, but SEVERAL AWARDS.
So, there you go. This movie is playing many festivals as I see it being plugged when I am on the road looking for things to interview. Do yourself a favor and just drop your baggage and go to the screening. I promise you...it is a gem.
Succinctly put. 5 reasons you should see this film:
Dialogue. The dialogue of The Rat Thing was so impressive to me that I was taken back to a time when words actually carried weight. I was very impressed and have had a hard time watching anything since the screening. It was beyond David Mamet because it wasn't trying to be David Mamet. It was effortless and perfectly timed without taking a huge amount of energy on my part to become accustomed to the patterns and jargon of the piece.
Cinematography. The cinematography was the best. It was shot on 35mm film and the DP really knew what he/she was doing. The Sound...I never even thought of the sound. It was that seamless. Just wonderful. Shots that wow you.
Production Value. You will see that the producers promise a huge location in the script and then they pay it off by taking you there at the end. Something most filmmakers may not have known to be important. It is.
Little adorable animals in the cast. No one, I repeat, No one has the balls to work with an animal. The costs are outrageous, the ability to get the animal to do what you want is nearly impossible, and being able to create real moments between you and the animal is like trying to catch lightning in a bottle. Mr. Keresy's scenes between he and the rat rise above and leave you charmed by the connection they have.
Acting. The two leads have such a connection because of their balance, that it is like watching Midnight Run. The quirky weirdo played by Michael McGee is like some endearing nut-job from Brooklyn. A scene where there is a deliberately long take is the basketball scene. After he throws the basketball over the wall, jack leaves and Joey is left to scale the wall and get it. the camera stays on him a long time as he struggles to climb it. It's truly a perfect opportunity to show his low character status and most filmmakers would have let it slip through their fingers. All the other actors are perfectly cast. Most of all, the star, Kevin Keresy who carried the film as any Hollywood name-actor would. His scenes where he befriends the rat are akin to the scenes in IRON MAN where Robert Downey Jr. talks to his robots as he tries to learn how to fly. the arc of his character is the strongest as it really is his journey. First class, two thumbs up job.
I was in Venice last week and I ran into a musician who knew Kevin Keresy for years and he mentioned that Mr. Keresy is also a martial arts master. This makes sense to me so I will mention it here. It is truly a testament to this man who probably used all the discipline and inner-power he learned to channel through his martial arts. Then he drove a small movie like The Rat Thing to not one, but SEVERAL AWARDS.
So, there you go. This movie is playing many festivals as I see it being plugged when I am on the road looking for things to interview. Do yourself a favor and just drop your baggage and go to the screening. I promise you...it is a gem.