Be My Oswald

A quirky piece with something to say. Funny -- there's some fine comic, character work -- up to a point, at which point it gets disturbing.

Director and writer, Cato, uses the occasion of New York's Thanksgiving Day Parade as a vehicle to build suspense and to introduce an array of urban characters who live on the fringe. His heroine is a naive, attractive, socialite looking to make something out of her frivolous past. When she stumbles into a situation that may bring meaning to her life, she gets much more than she bargained for. Cato and his fine cast and crew are after more than laughs, their controlled tracking of innocence seduced in a worthy cause ends in a nightmarish vision.

So I guess "black comedy" is the best way to classify this fine piece of independent film making that captures the pace and rhythms of life in the Big Apple. Images still return months after viewing.

Be My Oswald is a "sit up and take notice" work of film. If you haven't questioned your values recently, this movie will help change that. Taking steps to question or change our "institutions" is not that easy. How well are we doing, as a society, when it comes to meeting peoples' basic needs? What do we value? Where is our responsibility in all of it?

Be My Oswald made me think about which personal character attributes contribute to terrorism. We've gotten complacent in our thinking about where terrorism comes from. It's not just coming out of the Middle East. Americans are unhappy with what America has become. The "shopping mall" is much too pervasive in our society. Again, what do we value?

If you like conspiracy/mystery movies, this movie satisfies the craving for something that'll keep you guessing.

"Be My Oswald" embodies the very essence of what we love about independent cinema. It is a very dark, twisted and funny story about a young, spoiled woman getting involved in a religious extremist's plot to kill Santa Claus during the Thanksgiving day parade. The film overcomes it's budgetary limitations with strong dialog, interesting characters and a screenplay that keeps you guessing as to what could possibly happen next. The lead performances are very strong and carry the film, much of which takes place in a single room. Is the film perfect? No, but it is edgy, thought provoking and much more deserving of an audience than a lot of big budget films out today.

First, this movie hits you with an impact somewhere in between, say, Midnight Cowboy and Taxi Driver, for its soothing New York sensitivity and suicidal tendencies. In this respect I'm really talking about the underlying violence and compassion found in many lonely hunters.

BE MY OSWALD, supported by superb acting in every role, manages to create a world full of the most deranged and passionate characters possibly ever to appear on screen. From A, the socialite activist's child-like naivety about the world to B, the militant vegetarian's deranged, yet thoughtful, philosophical bantering, I think the passion lies not only in the character's personalities as they are portrayed but in the way they plea to the movie viewer for mercy. As a struggling writer of some year's experience dealing with all sorts of rejection I was particularly drawn to this aspect of the film.

Thus, and it's fair to point a finger, this movie is definitely driven by a filmmaker's passion for character study and social issue concern. Instead of a story written and filmed to primarily indulge, as is too frequently the case in films today, the undeniably strong, clever, and unpredictable film-making in BE MY OSWALD lies in the interweaving use of both film and video. Serving, I believe, as vehicles to get you involved or distanced from the characters; as though in one minute it's quite comfortable to share an intimate cup of coffee with your character and the next peeping at him or her from a distance.

Finally, and I can't help to say, this film reminds me of Pulp Fiction. As in that film it's sometimes hard to place in a single genre - drama, crime, dark humor. And while Pulp Fiction is no doubt clearly much more violent, like the classic BE MY OSWALD is not without a distinctive theme of misplaced innocence.

In conclusion, do yourself a favor and watch this film, it is easy to see why. Fundamentally, it's important as much as it is entertaining. It is a must see for anyone who considers themselves a movie-goer and can handle intense social subject matter.

A visual stunner, Be My Oswald is the long anticipated second feature by visionary NYC filmmaker Don Cato.

I will not discuss plot points here, so as not to give anything away. Suffice to say you owe it to yourself to experience this brilliantly directed, powerfully acted, and delightfully subversive bit of yuletide.

Besides Cato's seamless direction, the other highlight of this film is the slyly oblique performance by Katha Cato.

This is one for the time capsule. Cato and Cato have altered the art form.