The Rat Thing

"what thing?" you ask? you know! the rat thing! if you haven't seen it yet, you're missing out. this indie feature is as polished as a studio flick, relying on well-crafted writing, outstanding acting, and sound direction--instead of big budgets--to make it fly. the stars, kevin keresey and michael mcgee, nail their roles and are so utterly believable as the misguided mastermind and his semi-retarded sidekick. cleverly written, the screenplay depicts the perfect combination of humor and sensitivity to draw the viewer in and really make him care about these guys, their story, and, of course, their rat. well-paced and extraordinarily engaging with a very satisfying ending, this movie is sweet enough to warm your heart and funny enough to make you pee your pants.

I saw the film without knowing any of the background surrounding how it was made. The cinematography is captivating. The writing crisp and intelligent. Many films crumble by having just those two attributes and nothing else. The Rat Thing builds upon those attributes by adding excellent direction and a cast of very qualified actors. With all of this put together, the film plays out as a wonderfully witty and charming audience pleaser. The screening I saw had the crowd laughing and rolling along for the ride. With all of the components of a large studio production, and I assumed it was, it is so inspiring to see a film that stayed true to form and maintained the vision of the writing. It is especially inspiring to find out that large studios had offered great sums of money for the script, but were refused when Kevin Keresey(Writer/Director/Actor) stuck to his conviction that those studios would undoubtedly alter the integrity of his vision. Way to go! This film is an all around hit in all aspects of film-making!

I had the pleasure of enjoying this film at the Bare Bones Film Festival. It is a wonderful comedy. The screenplay is witty and fast. The comedic pacing is furious and funny. The plot is original and the performances are played to perfection. Keresey as the straight, no-nonsense, smart con-man plays the part to perfection. McGee as the bumbling sidekick is so funny I thought my lungs were going to explode from laughing.

There is never a dull moment as the plot move forward with fast paced dialogue and banter between the two main characters.

Shot with Venice, CA as it's backdrop, the camera work is excellent.

Do yourself a favor and check out this film.

The term "Independent Film" gets thrown around a lot in Hollywood these days, however, most of the films put into this category have a pedigree that more closely resembles a small studio film - not an independent film. The Rat Thing, deftly written and directed by Kevin Keresey, is actually an independent film that aspiring filmmakers can point to and say, "good movies can be made outside of the studio system."

As a writer who's about to experience my first screenplay getting made into a film this summer, I can't begin to express what a miracle it is that any film gets made. I don't know the back story that led to the Rat Thing actually taking flight, but I do know that the rock solid screenplay was heavily sought after and it took tremendous courage (and perhaps balls the size of church bells), to pass up guaranteed money for the chance to make it on Keresey's own terms.

Without writing a Netflix type of synopsis, I will convey that the film has a style that is a throw back to 1970's film making - "California Split," "The Late Show," and "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot" all seemed to be films that may have influenced Keresey. His cast is capable and up to the challenge of handling the dialogue and moving the story forward. This film is not perfect. It doesn't have the gloss of a Michael Bay blockbuster, or the smile of Tom Cruise, but it does have the imperfect visage of an alley cat that moves confidently among the rich and in today's Hollywood, that makes us love this movie all the more.

I really, really loved this movie. Besides being so funny, it had real heart. The characters were well defined (including the rat!) and the dialog was so very smart. Beautifully filmed with a terrific sound track. Very impressed with Kevin Keresey for his writing, directing, producing and acting. A real talent that should be recognized. The whole film worked for me and truthfully, this independent film puts big budget studio movies to shame. Kudos for The Rat Thing. And now I see rats in a whole different light! Saw at the Rainier Indpendant Film Festival in Washington, in May and without a doubt, The Rat Thing brought back my faith in movie-making. Because of the intelligence of the script, the nutty scenario of getting a rat to bite a guy to then sue a market for big bucks was completely believable to me. Most fun was the back and forth snappy dialog between Jack and Joey. My final comment on this hysterical film with it's 'biting' humor: The Rat Thing is a comedy caper you can really sink your teeth into.