Fubar

FUBAR (an obscene acronym from the military) is an amazing accomplishment. It tore onto the scene at the Sundance Film Festival in 2001, after being turned down by the Toronto fest. The classic success story of guys who maxed out their credit cards (including their Canadian Tire cards) and took a giant leap into the uncertain future - and it paid off. Telefilm Canada decided to fund the movie (after it was already shot on digital video), and "beefed" the budget up to $350,000 (Cdn.) They did a good job promoting the movie through a soundtrack featuring Sum 41, Gob, Sloan, etc. doing classic Canadian headbangin' tunes. This movie has it all: hilarity and drunken hijinx, intense drama, and incredible acting (although I wonder how much the beer had to do with this). Go see this movie, it is much more than the trailers would suggest: much more than guys acting loud and stupid. It's actually a touching film, with a look at the two main character's fear of mortality.

"Fubar" is a 100% Canadian mockumentary from writer / director Michael Dowse ("It's All Gone, Pete Tong", "Goon") that delivers some modest chuckles, but works because it ultimately cares about its characters. Paul Spence and David Lawrence play Dean and Terry, two 20 something goof balls who are decidedly unambitious in life. A documentary filmmaker named Farrel (Gordon Skilling) sets out to record their day to day activities, as they live the life of those party animals known as "head bangers".

Not really to be mistaken for a rock 'n' roll movie (although the soundtrack *is* ace); music doesn't play that big a part in the story that unfolds. At first, Dowses' film is mildly amusing as it shows us the tomfoolery to which Dean and Terry are prone. It's got a funny enough script, with liberal use of profanity - especially F-bombs. Things do take a sober turn when it is discovered that Dean has testicular cancer, and he's forced to take the matter seriously. He and Terry then confront ideas of life and death, even as they entertain themselves with such things as a camping trip.

The no-name cast is quite engaging, especially Spence. Skilling is a hoot as the uptight, seemingly humourless director. Incidentally, the guy in the role of Deans' doctor was Dowses' physician in real life, and he's basically playing himself. A number of the supporting players did actually mistake "Fubar" for a serious doc on the life of the "common man" in Canada.

Overall, a likable, offbeat effort. It does bear the mark of a low budget, but it does have some charm that more than makes up for that.

Seven out of 10.

Honestly the first 30 minutes of this film is fairly painful as we watch the main characters played by Dave Lawrence and Paul Spence go through their childhood, as twenty-somethings with meaningless jobs and non existent friends and six pack after six pack. Farrel, the documentary filmmaker, decides to follow these Canadian fellows and make a film on their "so-called" life. As one character discovers a health issue that turns his life upside down, the two characters (and the filmmaker) start a journey into the woods and mother nature to excise their fear. It's only at this point that the film really gets going and the director is finally able to take the saran wrap off the characters and let them emote something more than pure silliness. The production value is low but the story while simple is executed well. Look forward for the Director's next film about a deaf deejay: All Gone Pete Tong.

This is a stoner rock mockumentary. I love the opening credits that tells the audience that this is fictional but apologizing to anybody participating in the film who thought it was real. It's 2000 and filmmaker Farrel Mitchner (Gordon Skilling) documents two head banging friends Dean Murdoch (Paul Spence) and Terry Cahill (David Lawrence). The boys are trying to get Troy nicknamed Tron to party.

This is filled with great bits of comedy. The two leads fully commit to these characters. There are truly funny moments that surprises. The natural comparison is to Spinal Tap. Spinal Tap is always obviously fictional filled with great improvisational comedians. This feels like real people doing a real indie. These guys would fit into any Cops episode. Giver!

I was sold with the tagline: GIVER. These guys are so genuinely into their lives that you can't help but admire them, even though they are like, the quintessential lowlifes, complete with illegitimate children and sordid tales of fingerbanging cousins (eww..). Either way, they are having the best time with what they have, and it's great fun to watch, even though it's all fake. I have never been in a theatre with a movie playing that brought down the house. It was awesome. I can shotgun better than Farrell (although that doesn't seem very hard to do). His cake was priceless. 10/10