Sword of Trust

A very quirky film that takes place in today's American Deep South. So naturally, it's about the American Civil War (The War of the Northern Aggression). There's an old, inherited Union (The Army of the Northern Aggression) sword that supposedly proves that the south won the war. The sword now belongs to a lesbian couple who team up with a Birmingham pawnbroker and his dim sidekick to sell the sword to a collector for big bucks. That's when the characters plucked from Deliverance start to appear. This movie is never predictable. At least it has that going for it.

From the outset, I was a little nervous about how I would like this film. Marc Maron can be abrasive but I do sometimes like his comedy. I am the sort of person that used to skip his rants to get to the interview on his now famous podcast "WTF." Even that, though, I tired of so I wondered if I would be similarly motivated to eventually check out of this film.

I was in for a bit of a treat though. This film, while tapping into Marc's talents, is definitely not simply his voice thrown on the big screen. There are a lot of really great laughs, awkward moments, incredulous circumstances, and zany antics from everyone involved in this film.

The setup for the film is that a couple, Mary (Michaela Watkins, "The House") and Cynthia (Jillian Bell, "Inherent Vice"), are given a sword from the Civil War by their dead Grandfather. In a dementia scrambled note, He details a winding and contradictory narrative that ends in this thought; The sword proves the South won the war.

They end up deciding to try to sell it for an astronomical sum of money and introduce Mel (Marc Maron, "Almost Famous") and Nathaniel (Jon Bass, "Loving") into their little scheme since they know where they can find people who will believe the sword's sordid history and pay dearly for it and the light it sheds on an alternate history.

I won't get any further into the plot but the setup should be enough to see that there is a lot of opportunity for humor in this film especially with a cast that is as funny as this one. What I wasn't expecting was the layers of conversation and depth that the film was going to bring to bear on such an, on the surface at least, ridiculous premise.

For example, the women get this sword and are disgusted by the fact that their grandfather thought the South won the war, and probably along with it, a lot of other out there stuff. So they don't want it.

But they do want the money it could fetch them so they head to the pawn shop where they proceed to try to convince the owner that the sword really is the sword that should have ended the war because that would be worth more money.

The film constantly turns truth on its head like this, making fun of people who basically say and believe whatever is convenient to their ends or giving us heartfelt scenes where people are facing things from their past and how we tell ourselves stories then rewrite them in our brains to make us feel better about them not caring so much about their veracity.

Greetings again from the darkness. Lynn Shelton has put together a very successful career that began with her contributions to the early days of mumblecore (Andrew Bujalski, the Duplass brothers, et al). Along with her filmmaking, she has mixed in some fine TV work, including multiple episodes of "GLOW", "Fresh Off the Boat", and "New Girl". This time out, with a script she co-wrote with Mike O'Brien, she stays true to her offbeat roots and love of characters with character.

There is a story here, and in fact, it was the synopsis that contributed to me agreeing to review this one ... well that, and the previous work of Ms. Shelton. Cynthia (Jillian Bell) and her partner Mary (Michaela Watkins) have returned to Alabama with the expectation of inheriting Cynthia's grandfather's house. Instead of the house, Cynthia instead walks away with an antique sword, whose accompanying drawing and handwritten letter supposedly prove that the South won the Civil War.

A visit to Mel's Pawn Shop begins the process of finding a buyer for the sword. Cranky Mel is played by Marc Maron, best known for his stand-up comedy. As a shop owner, he seems constantly annoyed by his dim bulb employee Nathaniel (Jon Bass). The two couldn't be more different, as Nathaniel spends his work days plugged into conspiracy podcasts (including one run by the film's co-writer Mike O'Brien in a quick cameo). However, it's Nathaniel that discovers the "truthers" who believe the 'South won the war', and are the best possible fit as buyers for Cynthia's sword.

Director Shelton makes an appearance as Deirdre, Mel's former lover. As a couple, their rocky history includes significant drug use and little contribution to society. Also appearing is Toby Huss as Hog Jaws, the oddball middleman involved with the sword transaction. "Seinfeld" fans will recall Mr. Huss as "The Wiz" from that popular show.

This is a deep cut indie, and the humor will either appeal to you or you'll find it absolutely absurd (or maybe both). The entertainment is derived from the 'little' moments and the manner in which the characters interact. It appears many scenes were improvised, a trait of early Shelton projects, and with such talented comedy actors, it's no wonder. The offbeat story simply exists to give these actors a reason to be funny ... something they do quite well.

A small town Alabama pawn shop dealer (Maron) is presented with an intriguing item one day by an incredulous couple (Bell and Watkins) - an antique sword with paperwork attesting to the "fact" that the South won the Civil War.

A strange and entertaining adventure ensues as the 3 join forces with a kid who works at the pawn shop (Bass) to try and find a high-end buyer for the unique relic from a time that didn't really even exist.

Quirky without being contrived, funny and tight (88 minutes - I saw it with a post-film Q&A where director Shelton said "a comedy should be 90 minutes"), the film serves as a tailor-made vehicle for the strengths of its main protagonist (Maron) and a small, solid supporting cast. Much of the dialogue was improvised, yet none of it feels forced, and it also manages to poke fun at the culture of "alternative facts" which is slowly seeping into all corners of society without being malicious (making one of the GOOD guys an unapologetic flat-earther helps to spread the sympathy/blame around).

Worth a watch on screens big or small. Watkins and Bell have a nice chemistry, Bass plays a simpleton a bit TOO convincingly, and, despite the fact that he regularly self-deprecates to the contrary on his podcast, Maron is really coming into his own as an actor.

If you ever listen to Marc Maron's podcast, WTF, this is a movie you won't want to miss. Also for fans of the Netflix series Glow, you're already familiar with Marc's accessible, honest work on the little screen. Don't believe any of the negative reviews for this film. Marc's performance is a tour-de-force, just check out the New York Times review of this original masterpiece. It's a quirky comedy, perfect for summer. Expertly directed with a wonderful tone, the film is worth watching twice, at least. Come on people, do we all just need to keep seeing pre-awareness content out of the Marvel universe which is sucking the life force and brain cells from us all? Rally around original movies that feature real talent and genuine craftsmanship. Also Marc plays all the guitar on the soundtrack and it's nice to hear.