Review from The Trades.com

by R.J. Carter, November 24, 2006

Grade: A

I'm not huge into the independent movie scene. I've sat through more than my share of clunkers just to see the very rare gem.

"The Movie Hero" is a gem -- cut, polished, and dazzlingly set -- and my only regret is that I didn't get to see this one sooner than I did.

Jeremy Sisto (Six Feet Under) plays Blake Gardner -- the Hero, the leading man. You see, Blake believes he's the lead in his own movie, that an audience is always watching and that he can speak directly to them. He orders his life around the need to make his movie interesting. He advertises for a Sidekick, and finds one in Antoine (Brian White), a young black comical guy from Compton who almost doesn't get the job because Blake fears his audience would find Antoine too stereotypical. Together, they trail after Suspicious Character (Peter Stormare, Prison Break), a trenchcoated loner who carries an unstrung red guitar with him. It's during one of Blake's confrontations with Suspicious Character that the police finally haul him in, where the courts appoint him a therapist.

The Love Interest: Blake talks Elizabeth into taking the session onto the roof, because his audience is getting tired of seeing them meet in her office all the time. Cue the Love Interest. Dina Meyer (Birds of Prey) plays Dr. Elizabeth Orlando, the young psychologist for whom Blake is her first patient. She determines that Blake is obviously delusional, while he simultaneously diagnoses that she is, "the most beautiful therapist the world has ever known." The fact that she already has a boyfriend does not deter Blake, because he knows that the poor guy (Carlos Jacott) has been cast by fate in the role of Doomed Fiance.

This storyline on its own would be intriguing enough. But things take a surreal turn when Suspicious Character makes a quick aside -- to the audience! Yes, he can see Blake's audience as well, and suddenly there's an element of magical realism injected into the plot, as it turns out that Suspicious Character really is up to nefarious no-good! Meanwhile, as Love Interest begins to see more of the obnoxious character of her Doomed Fiance, she finds herself inexplicably falling for Blake.

This fourth-wall felling feat from Brad T. Gottfred is a true delight, and should be in the collection of anyone who loves movies. Sisto shines in his role as the charming hero, and Meyer is ever the perfect choice for a believable love interest. Stormare really gets to cut loose and go over the top in his villainous role.

When a movie is this fresh, the DVD doesn't really need any special features, although this one does include a commentary track with Gottfred, and a gallery of still shots. I can't recommend this one highly enough.

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