taegel

Sex and Violence maintains an even resonance of brutal poetry, and it's also very very funny. Patrick Warburton brings enough vulnerablility to the despicable Max Bright such that his bilious reaction to life and the people in his sphere is bitingly funny. Ultimately S&V is all about pain and suffering, disease and abusiveness, but in such a way that the theatre where I saw it was rolling with laughter. My stomach muscles ached from laughing so hard. It felt like a Tennessee Williams play done really really well.

A struggling actor finds the best way to break into Hollywood is to start knocking off the competition. But what makes Break a Leg a real gem is the sardonic look into the existence of the struggling (and not so) LA actor. It brings us into that world with effortless irony and wit. It's also got a polished look and very adept direction under Monika Mitchell. Break a Leg is one of those rare independent films that doesn't compromise its production values at any level. The writing is tight, the dialogue first rate. Cassini is an actor's actor, and the role really shows off his talents. The climactic scene between him and Rene Garcia is an instant classic, and may go down as one of the funniest Hollywood scenes of all time. I saw it at an advanced screening, and everyone in the audience laughed uncontrollably and raved about it afterwards.