MiddleMan

MiddleMan is a movie that turned out to be much better than I expected. The cast doesn't consist of very well known actors but they all did a good job playing their respective characters. Jim O'Heir has that same nerdy naive look he has in the great comedy series Parks & Recreation, his character is another push over guy but this time with a twist. Good performance from him, his collaboration with the other main character played by Andrew J. West works really well. The script is well written, full of subtle twists and turns, a right amount of comedy and light gore, in other words a good job from director/writer Ned Crowley. The cinematography was of high quality, for a small budget it was way better then some high budget Hollywood productions. MiddleMan deserves definitely a higher rating on here.

Sometimes what you (think) you see is NOT what you get. Entertaining; well-worth the watch. Only 2 or 3 stretches of believablity that won't ruin anything, esp once you get into this and see where it's going. Stand by for some unexpected Bonus Points.

Recommended. VM

"Middle Man" is about the character of Lenny, a recently unemployed man whose mother just died and now decides to chase the "American Dream" by going to Las Vegas so he can be a comedian. The film stars Jim O'Heir, Josh McDermitt, Andrew J. West, Anne Dudek, and Tracey Walter, and is directed by Ned Crowley. I saw this film at the 52nd International Film Festival this year, and is hands down my favorite film from the festival.

Jim O'Heir plays Lenny, an awkward but sweet man who seems to be stuck in the past. He still listens to 50's comedy sitcoms on his cassette player and memorizes them line for line, he drives his old '53, and always does what his Christian mother told him. O'Heir was hysterical as this man stuck in the middle of a crazy situation. Josh McDermitt plays the character of T-Bird, the biggest A hole who's the comedic sensation at the "Yuck Stop", it was a very cool contrast from his character in The Walking Dead. Andrew J. West (also played Garrett on The Walking Dead) plays the cool, confident, and mysterious Hitch, who tags along as Lenny's "manager" and is also a psycho killer who burns up easily in the sun. West was just as up to par with O'Heir, and the complete contrasts of their characters really brought a unique character duo.

"Middle Man" does not pull its punches, the film keeps on bringing the comedy and every joke that was made in the film was always answered by a laugh from the audience. The film has such a sick sense of humor which I love. I've never laughed so hard at a man getting his head blown off or a man disposing of a dead body. Now despite this film being laugh out loud funny, it is extremely dark, especially during the last 30 minutes of the film. The film is like a cross between Martin Scorsese's "King of Comedy" (1982) and David Lynch's "Blue Velvet" (1986).

After the screening of the film director Ned Crowley and Jim O'Heir came to the front and had a very cool Q&A, and I got to meet and take a picture with O'Heir as well which was super cool. "Middle Man" is a very original and balls out film that never takes itself seriously and delivers one hell of a black comedy.

There's an old joke that about something "being funny until someone gets poked in the eye. Then it's really funny." That sums up the plight of poor Lenny, played by Jim O'Heir, star of Parks and Rec. A poor sad sack who gets in deeper than he ever imagined was possible. And then, as the joke goes, it's really funny. First time director Ned Crowley has a deft hand at writing great characters and then bringing them to life. He's also managed to create a piece of film on a shoestring that looks like it cost millions.

When I started watching this bizarre little film, I wondered where I'd seen the lead actor before. Turns out Jim O'Heir played Jerry in "Parks & Recreation," one of my favorite TV shows. I looked him up on IMDb and was amazed to find he's been in 183 movies and TV shows! That's an astonishing number for an actor that young.

Anyway, back to "Middle Man." Lenny Freeman (O'Heir) is a boring accountant. When his mother dies, she leaves him nothing but debt and her old Chevy. Lenny uses this as an excuse to pursue his dream--to head to Vegas and become a famous comedian. Problem is, he isn't funny. Not at all. His favorite comedies are old 1940s and 50s radio shows. But on the way out west, he picks up a mysterious character "Hitch" (Andrew J. West), a sleezebag who volunteers to be Lenny's manager.

Lenny goes on stage at a small bar/comedy club and bombs terribly. After his dismal performance, he has an encounter with one of his hecklers outside the bar. He wakes up the next morning to discover the man has been murdered, so he stuffs him in the trunk of his car. Hitch convinces him to go on stage that night and recount the story of him killing his heckler, bloody shirt and all. And lo and behold, the audience response is amazing! They love his "act" figuring he's fabricated the whole story.

From here on out, the story gets crazier and crazier. Sure, things get a little bloody, but it's only a movie. I've never seen anything quite like it. If you're in the mood for something truly different, you owe it to yourself to check out "Middle Man."