A pitch black comedy that is not dissimilar to what the Coen Brothers dished up early in their careers in a tone sense, American comedy Deany Bean is Dead may not provide any revelatory independent cinematic offerings but it makes for a highly enjoyable 90 minute exercise, with a star making turn from its leading lady Allison Marie Volk.
Focused around Volk's unhinged and depressed Deanna Locke, whose trying to recover from a messy break-up with her ex-fiance and the fact that her cold-hearted boss Maxine is in the boot of her car as she heads to her ex's house for a dinner party, Deany Bean is Dead has a little bit of Weekend at Bernie's about it as Volk's Deanna tries to maintain her cool in a situation that is anything but.
Perfectly inhabiting the manic persona of Deanna, whose trying her best but clearly after being inspired by true-crime podcasts is in a bad state of mind, Volk is the films most standout element as she ensures, despite the myriad collection of bad choices she makes, that Deanna is a likable creation and one we root for to escape out of the bad situation she has found herself in.
The film itself may never get into a genuinely out loud funny groove and the supports around Volk don't make much of a mark, even if its great to see one-time Australian police-woman Wendy Wilkins get some nice screen time as the unlikable Maxine, but with the film moving at a rapid pace and the plot constantly progressing towards a surprisingly heartfelt finale, there's little time to ponder what could've been had the film managed to craft memorable moments around its main protagonist.
Having been around the industry for 20 plus years, the films director Mikael Kreuzriegler shows a solid hand behind the camera, honed over numerous jobs as a cinematographer and short film director, but it would be nice to see him refine his script more next time to allow his capable cast members like Volk a chance to really shine bright.
Final Say -
A nicely paced and simple independent dark comedy, Deany Bean is Dead might not be a memorable experience but its a fun ride while it lasts and makes a solid point for the hopefully progressing career of its great leading lady.
3 pine nuts out of 5
