"The Brass Teapot" is an ultra-thin allegory pointing an accusatory finger at the folly of human greed at any cost. The Get-Rich-Quick American ideal of reaping big reward without hard work is also observed - from 10,000 feet.
Predictable from frame one, this film is woefully miscast. The male lead, Michael Angarano, sleepwalks through a part requiring far more thoughtfulness than he's capable of delivering. Perhaps it's in the comparison. He shares the screen with greed incarnate, a spot-on Juno Temple. They're educated young marrieds "a couple of notches above white trash" struggling financially in bad economic times without hope of a good job. A legendary brass teapot is stolen by she and soon afterward it's discovered money spits out when pain is registered nearby.
Unfortunately, "The Brass Teapot" wallows in the aforementioned white trash sentiments. The masochism, physical, sexual and emotional sadism flies fast and furious and veers well into gratuitous. Scenes that should boil with an acrid potency - the verbalization of the partners worse thoughts about each other - are instead thrown away and unintentionally become satire.
Add two Hasidic Jews threatening the couple but who don't want the (stolen from their Aunt) teapot back (????). Then there's a mysterious Chinese doctor trying to save the couple from the teapot's clutches. Seems thousands used the teapot through many, many centuries but it takes our white trash heroes to have the courage to give it up. Balderdash!
The Director's inclusion of personal beliefs, Theosophy, further tarnishes the teapot. Bad form, Ms. Mosley.
While the story sounds fun and entertaining, it is poorly executed. With neither enough seriousness nor comedy, "The Brass Teapot" fails to whistle loud enough to be heard from the kitchen. (Unless you relish schadenfreude.)
Predictable from frame one, this film is woefully miscast. The male lead, Michael Angarano, sleepwalks through a part requiring far more thoughtfulness than he's capable of delivering. Perhaps it's in the comparison. He shares the screen with greed incarnate, a spot-on Juno Temple. They're educated young marrieds "a couple of notches above white trash" struggling financially in bad economic times without hope of a good job. A legendary brass teapot is stolen by she and soon afterward it's discovered money spits out when pain is registered nearby.
Unfortunately, "The Brass Teapot" wallows in the aforementioned white trash sentiments. The masochism, physical, sexual and emotional sadism flies fast and furious and veers well into gratuitous. Scenes that should boil with an acrid potency - the verbalization of the partners worse thoughts about each other - are instead thrown away and unintentionally become satire.
Add two Hasidic Jews threatening the couple but who don't want the (stolen from their Aunt) teapot back (????). Then there's a mysterious Chinese doctor trying to save the couple from the teapot's clutches. Seems thousands used the teapot through many, many centuries but it takes our white trash heroes to have the courage to give it up. Balderdash!
The Director's inclusion of personal beliefs, Theosophy, further tarnishes the teapot. Bad form, Ms. Mosley.
While the story sounds fun and entertaining, it is poorly executed. With neither enough seriousness nor comedy, "The Brass Teapot" fails to whistle loud enough to be heard from the kitchen. (Unless you relish schadenfreude.)