You may have noticed out of 26 reviewers for "Matt's Chance", nobody has reviewed more than 1 movie on IMDb. Not that this necessarily makes their opinions less valid (I mean hey, even Tibetan monks who are only allowed to watch 1 movie in their entire life have the right to post on IMDb?) But if you're like me, you might smell some review padding at work.
Well rest assured I'm a real person, not involved with this production in any way, not dating any of the cast or crew, with nothing better to do with my life than review some 500+ movies on IMDb, so you can trust that this review is legit.
"Matt's Chance" is a quirky, dark comedy which which is 1/4 love story, 1/4 revenge story, 1/4 crime story, 1/4 fantasy, and 100% original. It begins mundanely enough: a loser is in a bar whining to his buddy about some chick, and the film proceeds in flashback form as he tells his bud the story. From there it picks up speed, it ropes us in with foreshadowing of some epic disaster to come, and the vibe becomes increasingly surreal, building momentum and suspension of disbelief until the astonishing ending which requires your disbelief to be not only suspended but beaten senseless like a piñata.
Some people may hate it for that very reason, but if you like movies that run you over like a garbage truck, challenging you to grasp unconventional situations and even more unconventional morality, then this is for you.
Without ruining anything, I'll say it's an adventure of one man embarking on a journey of revenge. Not quite sure of how to proceed, he encounters bizarre characters along the way (Lee Majors as the silent barber, Gary Busey as the hilariously cynical pawn shop owner, Margot Kidder as a sexagenarian stripper "he only keeps me around because I look enough like a man to get his rocks off" haha). These characters each appear for 1 scene and are seen no more, as if they're chapters out of an Alice in Wonderland nightmare: a caterpillar, a mad hatter, a duchess.
Other characters are more established but equally bizarre: his best friend the priest who raps on the toilet in his spare time, and a charmingly disturbed individual known as Gabor who reminded me very much of John Turturro's sleazy character in "The Big Lebowski" except this guy was much more likable.
Plot aside, this is an odd morality tale for the 21st century. It definitely ain't your grandfather's morality tale. So be prepared for anything. The wacky twist at the end really makes you think hard. In that respect it reminded me of the disturbing dark comedy with Rainn Wilson & Ellen Page called "Super" which challenges us to see the moral difference between a superhero and psycho vigilante... if there is indeed a difference. Neither of these films is to be taken at face value, and the satire is so thick you can't help but be amused at how the director is playing with us.
Stylistically, the humor is subtle & snappy with funny characterizations (excellently acted all around). The awkward "tough guy" match between Gary Busey & Bill Sorice ("Gabor") had me howling. Comedy-wise it's similar to the obscure gems "Circus Maximus" and "Bunny Whipped". If you haven't heard of those, think of "Pulp Fiction" on a caffeine high. That is: offbeat, deadpan humor but at a faster pace. If you're in the mood for something like you've never seen, give "Matt's Chance" a chance.
