I haven't been able to watch films for a while now. I just unfortunately haven't had the time to do so. Though I have really been feeling the iitch to catch up on recent releases while I've been juggling various television series. To be honest, I'm not really interested in much of what has been released in the cinemas as of late. A disinterest in the typical big blockbuster structure that all feels too familiar. Indies tend to be where my interest sits, in the weird and the unique. Dinner in America is something I had no idea of until late last night, and everything I heard of it just made me more interested. One of those rare indies that just pushes all the limits purely because it can. Films like these are genuinely interesting, knowing the director can get as loose as they want with the story they want to tell. Adam Rehmeier is a director I'm sure you've never heard of, and I think this because I had never heard of him, going through his prior works, this is pretty much the largest production he's had, and he did a fantastic job with it. Resonating with me pretty much from the first few minutes, and it just did not stop there.
The truth is, I love films that have a silly amount of shock value to them, not necessarily in the factor of action and gore, but more in the weird and uncomfortable. The ways in which the writing and characters can just push the limits of society and get away with everything. It has been a while since I saw a film like this, and they seem more and more rare due to their methods of just alienating a large demographic from the potential target audience, but that's what leads to something genuinely interesting. A film made more for the fun of it, rather than the endless pursuit of generating revenue. Partially, this is clear from the film's release date, which had many struggles having been released over the pandemic when cinemas were closed around the world, and streaming services were also suffering a bit in terms of production capabilities. I think this is another reason as to why the director remained relatively unknown, and the film having never really made a huge impact.
This review may feature the odd spoiler, but I will try to refrain from mentioning major aspects of the plot, though this may be difficult as I mention specific moments of interest. Read on at your own discretion!
Dinner in America immediately dives into the chaos with a protagonist that is all over the place. A person that has no actual structure in life and mostly lives as a criminal nomad, roaming from one house to another and living at the expense of others. Violent and rude, this protagonist is just the worst person imaginable, roaming through different households and then inevitably clashing with those who own it. An impossible person to be around without them somehow speaking entirely from mind and with no respect for anyone. This horrific protagonist is actually incredible. Someone that you'd hate to be around, but is actually highly entertaining to watch with the chaos he gets surrounded by. Very early on, it results in him attempting to burn down someone's house after the housewife comes onto him and is caught. The characters within this world somehow share some of his odd nature. Everyone just seems incredibly raw, people that are just loud, disgusting, and generally a bit weird. Specific quirks to them that make them stand out in contrast to the more laid-back and "cool" protagonist that just roams through the world taking what he wants. Everyone else with this foolish nature that seems incapable of stopping it.
The story progresses when he ends up wanted by the police with a cash reward. Stumbling into a woman that is a bit awkward. There's this implication that this woman has something a bit off with her. It isn't quite clear what that is, but the more we see of her, the more it implies that she might have a slight mental disability. The interesting aspect of this in her character is that she ends up being oblivious to the protagonist's constant prying and attempts to be rude and annoying. The two contrasts between these two characters ends up actually giving them sort of a connection. The fact that she just ignores his attempts to be his usual self only leads to him being around her more often. To the point in which we actually see him being a good person for once, actually sticking up for her from the others that tend to bully her. You don't really know where the story is going from this point, it seems like it remains in constant motion, constant chaos.
A lot of the comedy comes from how insane the dialogue can be at times. How the characters just have no filter whatsoever. The awkwardness of a father that keeps aggressively sneezing at the dinner table, to the protagonist screaming over how his passenger should buckle up, because he "drives fucking nuts". All of this comes with the insanity of a fast-paced score that mixes with directing that jump cuts at times. Though a lot of the time the directing is still, with the characters walking from one side of the frame to the other. Fixed perspectives that gives the film a very traditional and cinematic look to it. Rarely instead being something more handheld and shaky. Only in times of intense action does this take place, and even so there is a degree of symmetry in the directing, where characters are placed in the middle of the shot. I think it really adds to the atmosphere of the film, where it mixes up from the chaotic to the slower. That oddity of the world where things seem mostly normal despite the heavily exaggerated personalities of those within it. This even includes the strangeness of the two making out in a quiet fast food place while everyone is told to "fuck off". There's something rather hilarious about characters that just hold such an unnecessary level of aggression towards everyone they come across.
Back to that aforementioned directing style: Dinner in America is actually a really beautiful film. The lighting is really beautiful, the perspective of a rundown town somewhere in America where the bored run rampant is an interesting idea. The lighting changes throughout based on the environments, from golden exteriors in the sunlight to the colourful and joyful interiors. From a technical standpoint, it's a visually stunning film even with that stillness in the cinematography. It utilises camera movement when it needs to do so. And I really like it for this, even in that it reminds me of older films in which cameras were too big to be moved so much. I think it gives more impact to the scenes in which things slow down a little. Where some character development is seen. I have to say, this is a film I definitely recommend watching if you're into the indie scene, but also weird comedies.
This is a film that will definitely make you laugh a few times. It'll surprise you with its more rude tone; though I think it does it all well. Director Adam Rehmeier really showed that he has some talent. He created some really good characters and ensured that everything they do adds to the film. It says a lot about the youthful nature people have, the chaos of not caring and how each day is just something new when you have that time in life. Though it's all heavily exaggerated here, to the point where the characters haven't got a single care in the world.
