THE DEATH OF DICK LONG (B) - A dark suburban twist on "The Hangover," this one from director Daniel Scheinert ("Swiss Army Man") and debut writer Billy Chew deals with the aftermath of three garage-band members partying too hard, leading to an unusual death among them. Married Zeke (Michael Abbott Jr.) and slacker Earl (Andre Hyland) bumble like they are in a cross between "Fargo" and "Pulp Fiction," and even the clueless investigation by the small town cops (led by Sarah Baker's Officer Dudley) can keep up with these two losers.
Strong performances keep this one afloat. Virginia Newcomb (who has a vibe that crosses Kristen Wiig with Sissy Spacek) plumbs depths as Zeke's frustrated wife, and Jess Weixler backs her up as Dick's clueless wife, who takes his disappearance as the sign of an affair rather than the obvious.
This takes a super-dark turn in the final reel, as not only is Dick's death particularly disturbing, but the filmmakers allows the other men to reveal their embrace of Dick's deviant behavior. It's a twist that might put you off, but you'll have to admit it's unique. And the comedy works. It's just a bit of an acquired taste all around.
SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME (2012) (A-minus) - This quirky, absurdist deadpan comedy spans three decades in the lives of two improbable friends linked by a woman they both married. This valentine to Austin (akin to Noel Wells' "Mr. Roosevelt") comes from Bob Byington, who would go on to score with Jason Schwartzman in the similarly skewed "7 Chinese Brothers."
This time we get Max (Keith Poulson, a favorite of Byington's and director Alex Ross Perry, who makes a cameo here), an uninspired slug who befriends Sal, a fellow waiter at a local restaurant. Sal is played by Nick Offerman, always the reliable anchor in a film that craves gravitas to offset its effervescent mien. Even though "Somebody" clocks in at a trim 76 minutes, it spans 35 years, sprightly jumping five years at a time, where we see Max get married and divorced, followed by Sal marrying and divorcing the same woman, Lyla (a delightfully silly but sad Jess Weixler). The twist here is that, as it becomes fairly apparent early on, Max never seems to age while those around him do. Is that significant? Or is that just an eccentric accent to everything? Meantime, a deep male bond develops between Max and Sal, who eventually open their own eatery together.
Full of non sequiturs, the script has a casual feel to it, yet its precision is a wonder to behold. A solid supporting cast embraces the idiosyncrasies that pass through effortlessly. Indie legend Kevin Corrigan nails a cameo as a relationship malcontent. Stephanie Hunt is kittenish as the gum-snapping nanny whom Max can't resist. Offerman's wife Megan Mullally hides behind a wig and glasses as a laconic therapist. Marshall Bell is perfectly creepy as Lyla's father, a cop who shouldn't have as much money as he does. And Kate Lyn Sheil smolders and bookends the storyline as Max's placid ex-wife in a canary yellow dress. (There are many nods to Godard's color schemes throughout.)
It's hard to capture the grounded goofiness of the proceedings, especially the stop-and-start banter. There is almost Groucho Marxist level wordplay, such as a malapropism-driven reference to the word avuncular. Here is a representative sample of the wry, disjointed dialogue of two characters following a funeral:
Sal: It seems weird that more people didn't turn out. I expected a turnout, a better turnout.
Lyle: Eh, you could have invited some people.
Sal: You don't invite people to a funeral; it's in the newspapers.
Lyle: Who reads newspapers?
Sal: The French! That's who. The French read the newspaper.
Lyle: You don't have to remind me. I went there once.
Sal: Everyone in France has a house that belonged to their parents.
Byington puts it all together elegantly, with an assist from cinematography by Sean Price Williams, interstitial animations by Bob Sabiston ("Waking Life"), and music from Albert Hammond Jr. of the Strokes. This one is a little gem.
BONUS TRACKS
Here's a pair from Hammond on the "Somebody" soundtrack. First, "In Transit":
And the lullaby "Cartoon Music for Super Heroes":
And Bob Schneider appears to sing a cover of the Cars' "Double Life" from "Candy-O":
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