The 2024 Cinequest offers a rich menu of comedies: Here are five good ones:
- Human Resources: In this dark, dark Argentinian comedy, Gabriel Lynch (Pedro De Tavira) is an alienated office worker, in an absurdly alienating workplace. Gabriel is a low-level supervisor on an anonymous lower floor of a corporate hive with too many layers of management and an oppressive, top-down culture. It’s also oversexed, with a carousel of Inappropriate office liaisons. Gabriel, an Iago with a sick sense of humor, begins a ruthless, unhinged campaign against those who offend him. I’ve rarely seen a more cynical comedy. US premiere.
- Puddysticks: In this good-hearted and original comedy, Liz (Megan Seely) is a puddle of anxiety. She is a workaholic game developer for an enterprise whose company culture, despite its mission statement, could not be more anti-fun. Liz stumbles on a self-help group, led by the ever blissed-out Sylvester (Dan Bakkedahl of Veep, Sword of Trust), where each participant must reveal their innermost secret. It’s cultlike and filled with psychobabble, but it seems to work for Megan and the others. And then Megan learns someone else’s secret… Puddysticks is a scathing satire of tech workplace culture and the self-help movement, somehow without a hint of meanness. Puddysticks is written and directed by Megan Seely (who also stars) in her first feature. World premiere.
- Bosnian Pot: A supremely unambitious Bosnian living in Austria, the affable and harmless Faruk (Senad Bašic), when he’s not sponging off others, gets by with a part-time radio show. Faruk sees himself as a writer because he published a volume of poems decades ago and has been thinking about writing a play. But, with the Yugoslavian wars in the past, Austrian authorities are now requiring real artistic accomplishment by Faruk to qualify for continued residence. Faruk’s only hope is to write his play and convince an Austrian theater troupe to premiere it before the immigration deadline. What could possibly go wrong? After decades of slacking, can Faruk find the needed perseverance? The character of Faruk is a delightful scallywag. US premiere.
- Hailey Rose: In this good-hearted Canadian comedy, the decidedly urban Hailey (Em Haine) is lured home in the sticks under almost completely false premises. She finds herself right back into the dysfunctional family she has escaped, with her wackadoodle sister Rose (Caitlynne Medrek) and her unashamedly selfish mother (Kari Matchett). Hailey had valid reasons to get the family craziness behind her and go to where she could come out more comfortably; but she learns that her sudden exit has impacted others, especially in a heartstring-pulling conversation with her gentle ex-boyfriend Cole (Josh Cruddas). Things wrap up neatly into a Feel Good ending. Matchett’s performance as the insanely crass mom is brilliant; she’s a howl whenever she’s onscreen. Second feature for writer-director Sandi Somers, who set the story in her native Nova Scotia. US premiere.
- The Trouble with Jessica: In this dark British farce, the most despicable, unwelcome guest at a dinner party dies by suicide in the back yard, and the other four diners must dispose of the inconvenient corpse to prevent financial ruin of the hosts. As one might expect, the foursome must run a gauntlet of nosy neighbors, earnest police and horny drunks. Five very able veteran actors (Shirley Henderson, Alan Tudyk, Olivia Williams, Rupert Sewell and Indira Varma) keep the laughs coming in this light diversion.
As usual, I’ll be covering Cinequest rigorously with features and movie recommendations. I usually screen (and write about) over thirty films from around the world. Bookmark my CINEQUEST 2024 page, with links to all my coverage. Here’s my Best of Cinequest.
