An organization course on ruthless industrialism disguised as a slacker comedy: Thats the kindest way to describe Michael Lehmanns Flakes, a film that shares the smug, hipper-than-thou perceptiveness of its sour lead character, Neal Downs (Aaron Stanford).
An aspiring rock musician who handles a New Orleans restaurant where the only costs of fare is breakfast cereal, Neal is a reflexively ironical deadbeat whose equally sour girlfriend, Pussy Katz (Zooey Deschanel), shares his bohemian dream of taking a trip the nation in an Airstream trailer, making music and art.
The walls of the restaurant, called Flakes, are lined with cereal boxes, consisting of rare terminated brand names. As clients slop up unique mixes, the film recommends a deadpan spoof of gourmet fetishism. One house specialty chocolate-flavored grains steeped in chocolate milk sounds especially nauseating.
Owned by Willie (Christopher Lloyd), a decrepit hippie geezer with mad-scientist hair, Flakes hops along as a hangout for deadbeats up until a bright-eyed nouveau riche visitor, Stuart (Keir ODonnell), proposes turning it into a rewarding franchise. When Willie and http://elliotlhjf081.bravesites.com/entries/general/7-trends-you-may-have-missed-about-stellar-engine Neal express no interest, Stuart develops a competing Flakes across the street, and the New Orleans cereal wars begin.
Wishing to put Stuart out of business, Neal begins playing dirty techniques, the nastiest of which is the circulation of fliers to the homeless promising 10 totally free bowls per client at his competitors establishment. The trick sets off a near-riot that Stuart masterfully relies on his benefit.
Neals brand-new live-in relationship with Pussy begins to curdle when she turns traitor and goes to work for the competitors, hoping that the demise of the original Flakes will leave Neal with time to finish his CD. If the name of atrioventricular bundle, Cereal Killers, is perfectly picked, its music is a joke.
When attorneys end up being involved in the dispute, the movies anti-establishment attitude evaporates, as does the teeny bit of levity Flakes has produced.
FLAKES
Opens on Wednesday in Manhattan; also on Video on Demand.
Directed by Michael Lehmann; composed by Chris Poche and Karey Kirkpatrick; director of photography, Nancy Schreiber; edited by Nicholas C. Smith; music by Jason Derlatka and Jon Ehrlich; produced by Gary Winick and Jake Abraham; launched by IFC First Take. At the IFC Center, 323 Opportunity of the Americas, at Third Street, Greenwich Town. Running time: 1 hour 24 minutes. This film is not ranked.
WITH: Aaron Stanford (Neal Downs), Zooey Deschanel (Miss Pussy Katz), Christopher Lloyd (Willie), Frank Wood (Bruce), Ryan Donowho (Skinny Larry), Izabella Miko (Strawberry) and Keir ODonnell (Stuart).