The Rat Thing

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 so much fun watching The Rat Thing at a recent independent film festival. This movie had me laughing out loud, so hard that I was crying, and by the end of the movie I actually hurt from laughing that hard for that long. This independent film was made extremely well - from the intriguing and unusual story line, to the hilarious dialogue and interactions between very unique characters (cheers to Keresey and McGee for their outstanding performances), and the film-making process - the directing, filming, camera angles, casting, editing - all of it created a movie that is top notch. And of course I loved how the Rat was incorporated into the story - hats off to the animal trainer too (you're my hero!). I can't wait to see this movie again!

The Rat Thing is a lesson in how to make a fantastic yet commercial independent film without sacrificing production value or vision. If this were a star-studded studio feature it would have already grossed $100,000,000 before the end of its third week. With studios consolidating or eliminating their indie production companies on a daily basis, The Rat Thing would be a wise acquisition to re-establish any major distributor's street cred. The characters are incredibly saturated with depth yet the screenplay is simple and straight forward. This is the kind of movie that once you see it, you want to become a champion of it and shout about it from the rooftops. With the right distributor and the tlc needed to support its distribution The Rat thing has the ability to generate the kind of response and returns that little gems like My Big Fat Greek Wedding was able to achieve.

I saw "The Rat Thing" this week at the Seattle True Independent Film Festival, and I loved every minute of it.

This is one of those films that demonstrate that you don't need hundreds of millions of dollars to make a great comedy, and that many of the best movies these days aren't on the big screen or even on cable, They are found at film festivals and in the direct-to-DVD distribution channels... although if there are any film distributors or cable TV network programming buyers with even a tiny amount of good taste, they'll meet whatever producer/director/writer/co-star Kevin Keresey is asking for the rights because it is that good. It's a film that deserves to be seen by an audience far larger than any film festival can offer.

This is a well-written and well acted film that is further augmented by great cinematography and an excellent use of soundtrack music and sound in general. It's also possessed with a unique style that causes it to be a thoroughly modern comedy that nonetheless transmits a classic vibe. It's a film firmly rooted in the modern day, with modern characters struggling in dead-end low-paying service jobs who come up with a modern scheme to enrich themselves in the law suit lottery that passes for the civil court system in the United States, but the crispness of the dialogue delivered by the two lead characters and the rapid-fire nature of their patter--not to mention their natures and relationships--give the film an air of the best Abbott & Costello movies. (The fact the film is populated entirely by hard-luck characters that we are alternatively laughing with and laughing at also serves to strengthen the film's classic feel.)

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.