Extremely funny in a deadpan way.
Seek this out!! It's a mock documentary about Chuck Gordon, a socially inept but (barely)likeable guy, who dreams of making his living serving on a jury.
Yeah...you heard right.
This is a very funny film about how people will do anything to feel empowered.
The film's glue is the inspired writing, directing and acting of Andy Johnson. His Chuck is sad, lonely, socially retarded loser everyone knew in school, all grown up. He works as a postman only because it offers unlimited paid jury time. His big dream is to foreman a jury on a murder case so that he might intone the words, "GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY!"
It becomes obvious that Chuck's outwardly cheerful demeanor masks a deep psychosis and a bottomless cauldron of resentment and rage. His desire to sit on a murder trial has less to do with a commitment to justice and more to do with the desire to see someone executed.
I just read my above lines and realized I made this film sound more like "Taxi Driver" than the weirdly sweet-natured film it really is. What leavens the more disturbing aspects of Chuck's personality is the utterly goofy way his anger and rage manifest themselves. Travis Bickle buys a gun, but Chuck campaigns to be jury foreman, the way that annoyingly friendly guy you remember from high school ran for student council secretary unopposed.
To describe the plot would be to ruin its many inspired gags.
Just see it.
Yeah...you heard right.
This is a very funny film about how people will do anything to feel empowered.
The film's glue is the inspired writing, directing and acting of Andy Johnson. His Chuck is sad, lonely, socially retarded loser everyone knew in school, all grown up. He works as a postman only because it offers unlimited paid jury time. His big dream is to foreman a jury on a murder case so that he might intone the words, "GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY!"
It becomes obvious that Chuck's outwardly cheerful demeanor masks a deep psychosis and a bottomless cauldron of resentment and rage. His desire to sit on a murder trial has less to do with a commitment to justice and more to do with the desire to see someone executed.
I just read my above lines and realized I made this film sound more like "Taxi Driver" than the weirdly sweet-natured film it really is. What leavens the more disturbing aspects of Chuck's personality is the utterly goofy way his anger and rage manifest themselves. Travis Bickle buys a gun, but Chuck campaigns to be jury foreman, the way that annoyingly friendly guy you remember from high school ran for student council secretary unopposed.
To describe the plot would be to ruin its many inspired gags.
Just see it.
- mattchanning
- Mar 7, 2006