September 22, 2006
The Hamster Cage
A scathing dark comedy that takes the tried and true dysfunctional family comedy and turns it on it's ear.
Starring: Alan Scarfe, Jillian Fargey
Rating: 7/10
Directed By: Larry Kent
Runtime: 92 minutes
Starring: Alan Scarfe, Jillian Fargey
Rating: 7/10
Directed By: Larry Kent
Runtime: 92 minutes
My introduction to the 2006 Fantastic Fest in Austin, TX came in the form of this nasty, little Canadian comedy. Directed by the great (at least that's what the press notes said) Larry Kent, the film comes across as Ordinary People directed by John Waters.
The film begins innocently enough with a brother and sister returning to their family home for a dinner to celebrate their father's Nobel Prize win. The siblings, Lucy and Paul (played in a nicely detached fashion by Jillian Fargey and Tom Scholte), seem equally exhausted with living in the shadow of their father's genius. In addition, both are attempting to deal with the favoritism that each parent shows toward the other. Paul is constantly being reminded of his shortcomings by his eccentric and domineering father (brilliantly played by Alan Scarfe) while Lucy spends the first part of the film simply trying to get her mother (Patricia Dahlquist) to acknowledge her existence. The setup of the film is quite deceiving as what begins as a broad (and somewhat unfunny) family comedy suddenly transforms into a dark comedy of the blackest pitch with the arrival of a mystery guest about 20 minutes in.
The less said about The Hamster Cage, the better, as much of the joy of the film is derived from the many unexpected twists and turns the film takes. Although the film is incredibly entertaining and well written, it's not without its flaws. As stated earlier the humor is at times quite broad which can dull the sting that some of the film's revelations should deliver. Also, the film teeters on the edge of bad taste with its blasé treatment of serious subject matter. With that being said, The Hamster Cage deserves a viewing as it attacks its material with a ferocity not seen in American studio films and its dialogue is among some of the finest committed to celluloid in recent years.
The film begins innocently enough with a brother and sister returning to their family home for a dinner to celebrate their father's Nobel Prize win. The siblings, Lucy and Paul (played in a nicely detached fashion by Jillian Fargey and Tom Scholte), seem equally exhausted with living in the shadow of their father's genius. In addition, both are attempting to deal with the favoritism that each parent shows toward the other. Paul is constantly being reminded of his shortcomings by his eccentric and domineering father (brilliantly played by Alan Scarfe) while Lucy spends the first part of the film simply trying to get her mother (Patricia Dahlquist) to acknowledge her existence. The setup of the film is quite deceiving as what begins as a broad (and somewhat unfunny) family comedy suddenly transforms into a dark comedy of the blackest pitch with the arrival of a mystery guest about 20 minutes in.
The less said about The Hamster Cage, the better, as much of the joy of the film is derived from the many unexpected twists and turns the film takes. Although the film is incredibly entertaining and well written, it's not without its flaws. As stated earlier the humor is at times quite broad which can dull the sting that some of the film's revelations should deliver. Also, the film teeters on the edge of bad taste with its blasé treatment of serious subject matter. With that being said, The Hamster Cage deserves a viewing as it attacks its material with a ferocity not seen in American studio films and its dialogue is among some of the finest committed to celluloid in recent years.