The high number of solid new indie releases available On Demand may alarm some who consider this cable category to be a slight upgrade from the scarlet letter known as straight-to-video. For films unjustly squeezed out of the multiplexes by sequels, high-priced reboots and star vehicles, On Demand is a chance for massive exposure. Millions can now get the same menu of choices as the art-house crowd in bigger cities or tucked-away cultural spots.
It gives us the chance to see original fare like “Hello Lonesome,” a quirky (in a good way), endearing (in a non-nauseating way) character study featuring no movie stars and little chance of competing with “The Hangover Part II” for screens. The theater owners’ loss is our gain.
Director Adam Reid’s debut revolves around three forlorn storylines. Lonely voiceover artist Bill Soap (Harry Chase) lives in suspended adolescence (and denial) at his bucolic retreat. His closest companion is the deliveryman (Kamel Boutros) who comes daily. In suburbia, an elderly widow (Lynn Cohen) strikes up an unusual friendship with her sardonic, divorced and considerably younger neighbor (James Urbaniak). Finally, two attractive New Yorkers (Nate Smith and Sabrina Lloyd) find their burgeoning, vaguely defined relationship undercut by devastating news.
Reid has some trouble sustaining the momentum of every subplot — Smith and Lloyd’s succumbs to a draggy, O. Henry-like finale — but we’re drawn to these rudderless souls and their problems. Reid’s straightforward, you-can-figure-it-out approach to the material is a big asset. Some directors feel compelled to share, as if familiarity makes a movie more compelling.
It does not, and that’s not how life works. People, unless they’re drunk or talking to a psychiatrist, don’t readily reveal their motives and thoughts. That’s why “Hello Lonesome” grabs our attention. We know that the characters are floating toward some kind of clarity, but Reid (who also wrote and produced) does not offer pat answers. Not to get all high concept, but “Hello Lonesome” resembles a happier, less intense Todd Solondz (“Happiness, “Welcome to the Dollhouse”) movie. That’s a compliment.
A collection of fine performances from newcomers and I-know-that-guy veterans helps. Urbaniak (Robert Crumb in “American Splendor”) and Cohen (Miranda’s housekeeper on “Sex and the City”) are especially good, because they find their characters’ humanity. Their rapport never comes across as gimmicky. Chase, a real-life voiceover artist, does a nice job in his acting debut. Thanks to his professionally smooth voice, we’re not sure when Soap is playing a role or letting his guard down.
“Hello Lonesome” shows how finding someone for our lonely lives isn’t always a salvation, or even the right decision. Reid is a thoughtful filmmaker who knows how to deliver a message and his future, whether it’s On Demand or in theaters, looks bright.
Rating: W W W
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