The Living Wake
by Warren Curry
5/16/10
Writing about “The Living Wake” serves as a reminder of just how subjective an enterprise reviewing films can be. A talky comedy that’s raison d’etre is to showcase the talents of its co-writer/producer/star, Mike O’Connell, the movie, if nothing else, fulfills that purpose. O’Connell handles the oddball lead role with vigor and confidence — it feels less like a performance and more like the man showing off his alter ego. However, as much as I appreciate elements of the actor’s work here, I can’t honestly say I find it enjoyable.
And because the film is so wholly wrapped around O’Connell, who plays the vibrant, loquacious K. Roth Binew, it’s difficult to write about it with much enthusiasm. The directorial debut of Sol Tryon, “The Living Wake,” which is finally seeing a theatrical release after traveling the festival circuit for a few years, has a sense of comic absurdity that makes it feel akin to an extended Monty Python sketch. I have a sense the director, writers, producers and actors succeeded in making the film they intended to make, and I’m sure there’s an audience (though probably a small one) for this movie. I’m just not part of that audience.
Following a brief introduction to our protagonist, we learn that we’re meeting Binew, a not terribly successful artist, on the final day of his life. His doctor has diagnosed him with an unnamed, fatal illness, but rather than sulk, the chipper, self-important man sets out with his friend/biographer/chauffeur, Mills Joaquin (Jesse Eisenberg), to tie up some loose ends and also hand out invitations to his “living” wake that evening. Some of the tasks Binew tries to accomplish that day, with Mills’ assistance, include donating books to the local library, visiting a prostitute for some last minute carnal pleasure and wooing his much older, married former nanny (Diane Kagan).
Of course, these episodes bring about their share of expected hi-jinx, which sets the table for Binew’s grand exit — his performance at his wake. This final section of the movie takes up almost a third of its overall running time; a fittingly prolonged denouement to a film (and character) that overstays its welcome.
Sol Tryon’s direction lends the movie a nice, clean visual touch, but all the acting comes across like it’s better suited for the stage. O’Connell performance is flamboyant, single-minded and relentless, which makes Binew both colorful and tiresome. If you’re not overwhelmed by the character’s over-the-top nature, you may just find him amusing enough to main interest until the film’s conclusion. Those not enamored of Binew could discover that the film has a distinct fingernails on chalkboard quality. Jesse Eisenberg is no better or worse than usual, but it’s unfortunate O’Connell’s comedian friends, Jim Gaffigan and Eddie Pepitone, weren’t given a better forum to display their skills.
A small, peculiar film with a big, grating personality, “The Living Wake” is like a party crasher at an intimate gathering — momentarily intriguing and difficult to forget, but mostly for the wrong reasons.
contact: wcurry718@yahoo.com
The Living Wake (USA/2007)
Director: Sol Tryon
Cast: Mike O’Connell, Jesse Eisenberg, Jim Gaffigan, Eddie Pepitone
Not rated, 91 minutes
(Mangusta Productions; opened in New York City on May 14, 2010; opens in Los Angeles on May 21, 2010)