Love, Gloria

My title refers to not just the story but the entire genre of the film, so be prepared. "Pretty Bad Actress" is a dark comedy that revolves around--to borrow the phrase from that awesome 80s song--"the cult of personality".

The story follows 2 different characters and the way their lives bizarrely intersect: (1) a washed up ex-child star named "Gloria" (played by Heather McComb), and (2) a teenage girl named "Dawnee" (played by Stephanie Hodes) who is Gloria's #1 fangirl. The washed up celebrity Gloria bears a striking resemblance to every Hollywood child star who ends up in rehab (I'll let you fill in the names here), while Dawnee is like every nerd from "Big Bang Theory" all rolled into one. What follows is a seemingly predictable but ultimately complex chain of events that include, but are not limited to, kidnapping, mayhem and murder, with intermittent dashes of hilarious Hollywood spoofery & pop culture satire, as well as some very sobering, human moments. In other words, hold on to your hat because things get weird.

I spent the first half of the movie somewhat disinterested because the story seemed like such a cliché, but right around halfway you realize that the setup was deliberately predictable because that's what gives the film power when things get revealed. Suddenly this isn't just a cardboard tale of an ex-diva and her adoring fan who find common ground to thwart their antagonists, but it really spins into new territory where we question the 2 heroines themselves, their motivations, insanity and the ghosts latent inside each character.

There's a fantastic supporting role of the sleazy agent "Al" (played by Danny Woodburn, famous as "Mickey" on Seinfeld) who is such a self-serving Hollywood caricature that when a possible murder occurs, he instinctively calls the casting agents before calling the police (and even then, he doesn't know the number for 911 lol). Danny is what gives this story its comedic punch. But don't expect a comedy because, like I said, this film straddles all genres. If you're expecting just a madcap comedy you'll be disappointed; if you're expecting just a crime thriller you'll be disappointed; if you're expecting just a teen coming of age story you'll be disappointed. BUT if you expect nothing and just go along for the ride, I think you'll really dig it.

Other unconventional, quirky, pseudo-crime dark-comedies I would compare this to include "Stealing Sinatra" (2003), "Poker Night" (2014), and an obscure yet must-see flick if you enjoy kidnappings gone awry, the Japanese film "Rainbow Kids" (1991). All of these flicks seem pretty basic on the surface, but each is guaranteed to deliver a good head-smacking *gotcha* moment that's worth the price of admission.

I can understand why this was an apparent direct-to-video movie. It portrays Hollywood as the cesspool it is, but in an oddly affectionate way. It proudly wears its political incorrectness on its sleeve and some of the more sophomoric humor doesn't work, but the result is strangely big-hearted. A washed-up TV actress who is more trouble than she's worth is kidnapped and her handlers see this as a way to get her name back in the spotlight. It showcases fine performances from the two leads, Heather McComb and Stephanie Hodes. (For some reason IMDB lists a couple of the bit players and hardly any of the number of well-known actors in the cast.) McComb really anchors the film and Hodes is a delight. Jillian Bell was more restrained than I've ever seen her (especially in a comedy) and just when I wondered where Nip/Tuck's John Hensley had gone, here he is. As I watched, I was thinking the plot was predictable, but it had a few surprises in store for me. All in all, a good diversion on a rainy afternoon.