From Nikki Whalen comes a story full of laughs, reality, and a couple twists and turns. This is a must-see for anyone who's ever tried to catch that first break in the film world. We follow Calvin and Joe, played to buddy-comedy perfection by Andrew Tyree and Juhann Jones respectively. Both are struggling to get their finances up to make their picture but are ultimately falling flat as they are faced with problems that many filmmakers go through. It touches on those in such a way that any starting filmmaker is reminded how desperate it can be to get their films made. So desperate, that Joe hatches a get-rich-quick scheme to raise funds as they continue to do business. Not revealing what the plan is but it does have to do with the homeless. The plan itself may seem a bit of a stretch but this film will make you believe that it can happen and how crazy a scheme can get.
The story takes a strong turning point in role-reversal as we see Calvin and Joe sort of switch mentalities. Both still want the same goal but as one matures, the other sort of deteriorates until one eye opener makes him look at things a whole other way. You'll have to see where the road leads yourself.
A lot of strong points in this film. The first is the casting. Andrew Tyree as Calvin is on point when it comes to range. He can be dramatic or funny when need be and it feels authentic as does the performance of Juhann Jones as Joe who gives off a huge Martin Lawrence vibe. He and his girlfriend, Aquaneesha, played by the beautiful Qualiema Green, give off Martin and Gina vibes that make one think about what a potential prequel to the series with them would look like. In addition, the homeless people portrayed in this film were not portrayed in a general stereotype I thought. They were each unique in their own way and that's props to the director Nikki Whalen for allowing each of them to explore their character and not be just some one-off character. I don't think I've seen this kind of work since Seinfeld. And each character interacts with each other to perfection. This truly was casted on point.
The story is the second strongest point. While it does seem outlandish at first, you only need suspend your disbelief a little to give it a chance before the payoff in the end. You could tell a lot of the script was fitted to the actor and the character and used as a guide to make it feel more fresh and true to each character.
One of my favorite scenes in this film is something I can't really get into as it ventures down spoiler territory. But let's just say those with dream-skeptical parents will relate greatly and are in for a cathartic experience.
That said, there are a few things that threw me a little. For one, the director breaks the fourth wall about a "pointless conversation" and it only happens once during the entirety of the film. This felt a tad out of place for me as she was a new character who was just a one-and-done. It, to me, would have worked better with more of these or none at all. Secondly, the post-credits scene didn't really feel like it connected, like it almost takes away the point of the entire movie. I can't get into that either as again, spoiler territory.
All in all, this movie is worth a watch, especially for those who love 90's-style buddy movies and shows (in the vein of MARTIN and KENAN AND KEL). And, if you're a filmmaker, is one cathartic ride.
RATING: 7/10.
