Kabluey

I saw this film at the Waterfront Film Festival in Saugatuck, Michigan.

Kabluey is a wildly entertaining and hilarious film. Scott Prendergast, the writer, director, and star of the film, made a very creative comedy that's so much fun to watch.

Leslie (Lisa Kudrow) needs help taking care of her two wild kids because her husband is off fighting in Iraq. Her brother-in-law Salman (Prendergast) decides to help out, after all, he needs a place to stay anyway after recently getting fired. But Salman has no idea what he's gotten himself into. The two children (perfectly played by Landon Henninger and Cameron Wofford) are far too much to handle and do everything they can to make Salman's life miserable. And somehow Salman manages to get a job as a mascot for Leslie's company.

I loved this movie, it's a very clever script. Sure, it's sort of a familiar story about a guy trying to look after some wild kids, but there are so many original and inventive moments throughout, especially the entire story of Salman as the office mascot. I also loved all of the little touches throughout, things in the background that aren't don't further the plot but add to the comedy. And Conchata Ferrell steals the show a Salman's employer. Every moment she's on screen is hysterical, she's so perfect at comedy, I wish she had a movie of her own.

There are many huge laughs throughout this film. Everyone at the screening was laughing wildly and applauding during many scenes. It really is a wonderful film and I hope people get a chance to see it. Seek out this film, watch it, and then spread the word.

I saw Kabluey, and after hearing many good things about it, I have to say it probably is one of 2008's best surprises.

Technically, it is from 2007, but it came out this year. It is a very genuine little independent comedy with a lot of heart. There are a lot of films like that out there, but this one stands out. The screenplay is very well written. It has a lot of laugh-out-loud laughs, and some laughs that you wonder how much they make sense with the story. It has some flaws, but overall, it has great developed characters, characters that sometimes may not always be likable. It is a story about how a mother's brother-in-law has to help her raise her kids, and also raise some money, since her husband is at war in Iraq. Throughout this story, we see a lot of events that change her and her brother-in-law. It is, overall, a black, sometimes, dark, comedy film. It has a lot of hidden themes about how the war impacts family, and also about loyalty and responsibility. It is sometimes uneven, and sometimes some scenes are too overfilled with humor, but when its good, it's really good.

Part of the reason this film works well is because of the great acting. Scott Prendergast plays his character of the loser brother-in-law Salman very well, and he makes my line-up of Best Actor(but will eventually fall out). But Lisa Kudrow is the one that gives the monumental performance. She has less scenes than Prendergast, but the scenes she has her character is very in depth. She has to give her character of Leslie a lot, real humanity, pain and exhaustion for her kids, and also sort of depressed, stressed, and sometimes even unlikeable. She really reminds me of a lot of real life mothers that get stressed out easily. I have never seen Kudrow like this, it's really a great performance, a subtle one. As of now, she is my Best Actress winner, and I think she might stay in my line-up in the end of the year, if not then top 10 for sure. I think she deserves Oscar Buzz.

Overall, a great little movie. Better than films that really are not always that good(Juno), and just as great as Little Miss Sunshine. I think the Academy should keep this film's screenplay, and Lisa Kudrow, for consideration. For those who have not seen it, please see it, makes a lot of the films this year look bad.

This is a very amusing fish out of water story with the director playing the lead role. In a nutshell, the story concerns a woman(Lisa Kudrow)desperate for some help taking care of her kids while her husband is off fighting in Irak. She has to go back to work but cannot afford daycare for her two "monsters".Cue the husband's loser brother who has nowhere to go,no money and no idea how to take care of himself, let alone two pre-school kids. He eventually gets a job wearing a ridiculous blue suit and handing out fliers in the middle of a highway to promote an Internet company( check out the poster to see this thing). Pendergast, making his first feature, reminds me very much of Woody Allen, in his early days. He is excellent at finding the humor in an ordinary situation and does not resort to cheap laughs. In many cases we see just the result of a situation and can pretty much tell what has happened just from surveying the damage. A perfect example is his first day of babysitting. All we see is the mother leaving for work and then arriving later to find him and the two kids fast asleep on the living room floor with fruit loops everywhere(and I mean everywhere), the TV blasting and generally everything in disorder. He could have shown us moments from his day but this is so much better because as we survey the disaster zone, we can just imagine what kind of a day he has had. Lisa Kudrow gets top billing and is OK in her limited role as the harried mother who is desperate for her husband to return and just does not know what to do. Christine Taylor and Terri Garr both put in what are essentially cameos but to good effect. The two kids are never cute or coy and this helps make them much more human. They do not like this uncle who has appeared out of nowhere but a bond does eventually form with him. A lot of the humor comes from the blue suit and the character's difficulty in doing such simple things as handing out fliers or drinking while wearing it. Pendergast is excellent as the out-of-his-element Salman, whose name everyone mispronounces. The rest of the cast is very good with a special mention to Conchata Ferrell as the HR person who hires Penedergast. I saw this film at the Montreal Film Festival with the director present and the audience really responded well. I hope this film gets a major distribution deal. Penedergast is a director with a lot of potential. I give this film 8 blue suits out of 10.

Lisa Kudrow of friends fame is the reason why I saw this movie. I liked the tag line"every family has a black sheep, this one is blue"

I loved it from the start. In between I had my eyes in tears both the laughs and touchy scenes.

Being a single parent with two children to take care of, is really a handful for Leslie(Lisa). Things don't get any better with the children's slightly retarted Uncle(Leslie's brother-in-law Salman) is assigned to take care of them. He baby sits them in fear of even being threatened to be killed by his eldest niece.

Salman also gets a job to make his ends meet and so the blue outfit promoting real estate space. This is the best part, bringing laughs and tears.

In times of the Iraq-America WAR, Salman(essayed brilliantly by the Director Scoot Prendergast) understand what his family is going through. In his own way he sets things right for the Children, their MOM and ultimately finds himself.

The passing non-important characters bring so much substance to the movie. I loved the part where he finds complete change in his fellow passengers, in the bus he travels to work. That sets the mode for the Black/blue sheep to turn to a hero in the climax.

Nope, it isn't a perfect movie. It completely relies on the 'Feel Good Factor' of the viewers. But yes, it has an inspiring quality that makes it beautiful and a must watch.

Note: Lisa Kudrow wasn't Phebe Buffe, but I think she's great in any kind of role.

My favorite kind of films have often been small, independent gems like this one, films that are the unique visions of under financed directors and not the bloated studios.

First, Lisa Kudrow. I liked Friends, but I wasn't crazy about it. That's why she was such a surprise to me here. Her character is initially unlikeable, but once you see why she does the what she does, she becomes sympathetic. Her scene when she walks away from the motel room fight is fantastic. She's hurt, her life is crumbling, and you feel for her. She's hateful and funny, a really good performance.

And newcomer Scott Prendergast, co-star, writer and director does a unique turn here as the black-sheep weirdo who becomes a kind of superhero that saves the family. I can't wait to see what he does next.

If you're expecting some stupid comedy, skip this and rent Mall Cop. If you want something unexpected, unusual and funny, give Kabluey a shot.