Stephanie Marie reviews the violent comedy almost-romance that is God Bless America at Edinburgh International Film Festival.
God Bless America is the new black comedy from comedian Bobcat Goldthwait. It's Natural Born Killers meets Network, and a parody of the reality TV phenomenon that has become so familiar. Frank (Joel Murray) is a disenchanted, middle-aged man who can't catch a break. He stands against the cruelty and carelessness inherent in the X-Factor generation, and finds himself confronted by it wherever he goes. In deadpan fashion, he delivers rant after rant without being heard and is gradually pushed to the breaking point.
He fantasises about taking matters into his own hands and violently killing the people who make life so unbearable. To Murray's credit, when he acts on his fantasies we can't help but champion his cause. He meets his match in Roxy (Tara Lynne Barr), a discerning teen who shares his burning contempt for so-called civilisation. Their quest for justice unfolds in a satisfying crescendo of gore and reckless abandon.
It's a love story of sorts. Joel Murray and the adorable Tara Lynne Barr bring this unlikely double act to life with dazzling on-screen chemistry. Creative cinematography, featuring overhead and panoramic shots, renders beautifully vivid and violent scenes. While God Bless America verges on sermonic at times, it nevertheless delights the inner misanthrope and/or vigilante in a big way.
God Bless America is in cinemas as of 4th July.
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