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| Gregg Turkington |
There has rarely been a story as compelling to the American culture as that of the American dream. It fascinates. Whether it be found in literature ("The Great Gatsby") or cinema (Citizen Kane), the idea of rags to riches is ingrained into people's subconscious. Everyone likes a good underdog story, especially if the outcomes are favorable. But for every action, there has to be an equal but opposite reaction. In the case of director Rick Alverson's Entertainment, the opposite reaction is very clear. Neil Hamburger (Gregg Turkington) isn't a great comedian and thus hasn't been able to do more than dive bars. As a result, he makes one of the most bizarre, depressing, hilarious films of 2015 that is likely to please anyone who likes annoying things.
The story opens in a prison. Neil's opener (Tye Sheridan) is entertaining inmates by bouncing a red ball and jumping on tables. It's a dialogue-free moment that itself makes no sense. Is it funny because it's so bad, even to the point that he doesn't have a uniform? It could be, but as Neil watches from offstage, he is unimpressed; as if bored by the routine that he is about to do. The jokes are vulgar and mean to be Tony Clifton-level obnoxious. His stage persona is built that way, causing you to either laugh at the perfectly constructed bad jokes, or at the awkwardness. If you're doing neither, you're thrown into a more sympathetic state - which is a very strange and unique experience to have when hearing jokes about Reese Pieces tasting like semen.
This is the construct of the movie. Neil is a man of stage and private life. In character, his raspy voice scratches at chalkboards - not even allowing the punchline to come before people walk out. Offstage, he is commended by his friends for the jokes. It is unsure if they're ever sincere, but they definitely provoke. Offstage, he is almost manically depressed, choosing to take his trip through desert dive bars as a chance to stare into the nothingness around him. It is a look into the existentialism of failure, which is very unpleasant to experience as well to watch. With eccentric music cues, the insanity burrows underneath the seriousness, as if asking you to laugh at this man's downfall.
It all works because of Turkington. In the real world, Neil Hamburger is an actual performer with those same bad jokes. Even just last year, he released "First of Dismay," which mixed routines and songs. It's as shoddy as his work, but there's something to watching a dedicated performer reenact a train wreck so thoroughly. Entertainment feels self-aware, as if an autobiography of this character. The only difference is that where Turkington's shtick is now beloved, his character never gets that honor. Like in most cases of abuse, Neil loses his mind in the film, creating one of the great temper tantrums of the year - that is, if you can get past the bad jokes and him calling hecklers foul names. This is a shameless performance and one that shows the complexity of which Turkington brings to this character.
Continuing his work after The Comedy, Alverson also feels like he is continuing to satirize what indie film is. Instead of deep, profound commentary, he gives a performance of tragedy in motion. These aren't sympathetic characters who are clearly doomed. Yet, it's fascinating to watch partially because of how human and flawed the character is. Unlike Jay Gatsby, he never got to kiss the brass ring and throw parties. He has to sleep in his car and deal with women throwing glass bottles at him. And for what? He's just going to end up doing the same thing over, and over, and over, and over. It's insanity that perfectly parallels the tone of the film. Alverson's pretentiousness is used to highlight "the sentimental" part of the film with utter failure. It's subversion that is uncomfortable largely because it relates on a human emotion. It's provocation that will annoy - thus making it all the more surreal.
Entertainment is not a film for everyone. Then again, the choice to struggle for the American dream is not nearly as fruitful as most cinema makes it out to be. With a great performance by Turkington, Alverson's direction continues to satirize the indie style by taking the life out of it and replacing it with absurdism. It's a film that's capable of being self-aware while also being subversively annoying about it. This is a film that doesn't glorify failure, but creates a uniquely and emotionally challenging experience. If you can get past the vulgar humor, you're likely to find something to admire about this film. If you like failure and can handle harsh reality counterattacking sensibility, then this may be a halfway decent movie to you.
Rating: 4 out of 5
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