Together with Goliath there also was a screening of Josh Slates’ ’89 Gator Mine, an 8 minute short film about a group of punk & heavy metal friends who debate foreign policy and nuclear war after one of them enlists in the military. He painted a picture of the culture and politics in the 80s that I thought was hilariously funny and very accurate at the same time… from cold war, nuclear and communist threats and anti-Qaddafi t-shirts down to the Iron Maiden shirts I used to wear myself in the 80s. Most obvious is the reproduced look of the 80s, but this short is appealing on multiple levels including the main character’s emotional struggles, the world views of the young generation and the state of the country at the time. I liked this film. [imdb]
Goliath was next and I just loved this film. I loved the main character and the story. I loved the movie’s full range from deep sadness to hilariously funny moments, from desperation, isolation, anger, pain, to luck and happiness. There were so many strong and wonderful moments. The divorce signing scene was brilliant in how it it portrayed both husband’s and wife’s state of mind toward each other without any dialog or interaction whatsoever. The electric can-opener… which was so sad and funny at the same time, especially when he took it out with a battery/generator to search for the lost cat. The silly looking tree-pruning tool he used as a weapon of destruction against the sex-offender in the neighborhood who he believed killed the cat. The whole fight scene produced such a set of mixed emotions, too: one could feel all the pain, desperation and anger of the main character, feel very sorry for the neighbor who really didn’t do anything, and at the same time laugh out loud about the ridiculousness of the whole situation and his neighbor’s helpless electronic larynx voice. Brilliant. Goliath was one of my favorites this year [imdb].
The unnamed, everyman hero of Goliath is struggling to keep his head above water. A messy and protracted divorce?– okay, he can handle that. A demotion at work, putting him back on the floor with a motley crew of jokers and slobs who’ve nicknamed him “Bitch Tits?” — that too he can stomach (barely). But when his beloved cat Goliath disappears — the most beautiful, most wonderful, most cherished cat in the world? Now you’ve crossed a line, Life.
Austin-based filmmaking team David and Nathan Zellner have staked out their own exciting comedic turf with a series of wildly inventive short films. Now with Goliath they’ve taken their unique brand of deadpan humor to the next level, crafting a feature that sustains a painfully hilarious mood as it mines the pathetic little insults of daily modern life — rocked by occasional explosions of ecstatic slapstick humor worthy of Jacques Tati.
Goliath comes to us after winning over crowds at the 2008 Sundance and SXSW fests, and stars writer/director David Zellner, with a hilarious supporting role from his brother, producer/editor Nathan, as one of the few people situated further down life’s totem pole than our star. The film’s wonderful supporting cast includes two-time Richard Linklater star Wiley Wiggins (Dazed and Confused, Waking Life) and Andrew Bujalski (director and star of MFF 2005′s Mutual Appreciation).
Goliath‘s hearty laughs come with little winces — and feel that much more cathartic for it. (Eric Allen Hatch) (from the filmfest-guide)
