Newtown

This film made me laugh hard. It's a political mockumentary, or perhaps more accurately, a human mockumentary. It is very clever in the way it addresses things: there's food for thought here, but most of it is cloaked in humor, which varies from broad to subtle. The script is witty and smart. The acting is very good. The pacing is excellent, and the story moves along cohesively. The film is filled with odd and interesting characters, as well as with ones characterizing types we all recognize. I did feel it wandered just a bit near the end, but then it was brought back together and tied up well. I watched it twice, and still grin and get a kick out of it when I think about it.

I thought this was an excellent film. Obviously made on a shoestring budget, the film was nevertheless funny, creative, and extremely interesting. Great kudos to the writers and directors. They captured the essence of a small town political race in the perfect vehicle--dark humor. With a little more planning on the part of the producer, this clearly would have been as big a hit as other independently made films. In fact, it has won some awards as best independent film, and movie critics in Spokane selected it as the year's best film.

However, what really made the film move was the quality of the acting. Ann Whiteman is superb as always. Christine Clayburgh is always a treat with her sense of humor and flat-out beauty. But Dennis Ashley clearly steals the show. He is a bright star on the acting scene--good sense of timing, understated elegance when it's called for, and the ability to go over the top when the show demands it.