The Notorious Newman Brothers (2009) - By Josh Samford

Film Reviews: The Notorious Newman Brothers (2009) - By Josh Samford
Posted on Monday, April 06, 2009 @ 14:42:45 Mountain Daylight Time by Duane

With This is Spinal Tap in 1984, filmmakers Christopher Guest and director Rob Reiner would forever change the world of entertainment. No longer did we look at the world's rock legends, documentary filmmakers or the world of cinematic comedy in the same way. The film, although modestly produced would become legendary over time and incite both a cult fanbase and an entirely new cinematic subgenre; the mockumentary. Although not the first film to present itself as a documentary but in actuality being a work of fiction, the Italians produced a few exploitation titles years before that would make use of the naivete of the audience, but the improvisational discourse between characters was unlike anything ever seen. Here we are years later and Christopher Guest has made a number of films in the same genre and there have been a handful of others out on the market, but the real trick of creating a "mockumentary" doesn't rely on any trickery from the director, everything comes down to the performances and the wit of the cast. The Notorious Newman Brothers, by the synopsis, one would think that since the mob has been lampooned enough in this day and age might come off as stale or contrived - but once again it all comes down to the wit of the performances and I'm glad to say that The Notorious Newman brothers doesn't disappoint.

The Newman Brothers, Thunderclap and Paulie, are a pair of mafiosos fresh out of jail for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and the little seen 4th degree murder charges. Well, it was either all the murder or the pirated DVDs, regardless once on the duo are back on the streets they hook up with documentary filmmaker Max Chaplin, an inexperienced soft spoken (and slightly feminine) director who is bullied by the brothers from the start. The two try to play up their connections and importance, but are simply small time hoods looking to make a name. With a huge drug deal ahead of them and Max documenting the entire thing - this could be the opportunity that these two buffoons have been looking for. That or it could just be another impressive failure, which is very much a possibility.

"Did she cast a spell on you!?", just one of the many great quotes to be found in The Notorious Newman Brothers. The film takes what by all means should have been a 'done-to-death' genre spoof and crafts something genuinely funny. The entire 'mockumentary' subgenre can very easily be hit or miss, depending on the ideas and the crew behind the film - it is particularly difficult to create something that remains interesting in feature length form. Ryan Noel and the Butler's took their concept and ran off with it. Staying away from genre-spoof limitations, the funniest bits of the film usually come from what appears to be delirious amounts of improv where the characters (more often than not, The Newman Brothers) begin to craft these bizarre lines that come out of nowhere. Some of the most memorable moments come from this absurdest comedy that seems to come out of the ebb and flow of the actors, like the above mentioned line after the pair convince their director to steal a porcelain wizard statue from a house that they burglarize and are caught red-handedly. The two then grill the director before letting him into their home because the apparent witch-woman might have cast a spell on him. Why this woman, who walked in on the three of them looting her home, was a witch or might have had time to cast a spell is kind of beside the point - as the brothers just seems to bounce off one another making the scene more and more ridiculous. My personal favorite bit though involves Thunderclap describing his designer suit, which was apparently made out of Wooly Mammoth hair. His suit color? Intergalactic black. That's right, he reached up into the sky and pulled down the dark to form his suit. Without a doubt, this flick goes into some strange territory, but that's what makes it great.

The performances from the small cast are all top quality, with The Newman Brothers themselves (Brett Butler and Jason Butler) stealing the show at every opportunity. The over the top toughguy accents are actually pulled off relatively well due mainly to the two actors devoting so much to their roles. It's easy to fake an accent, but to actually create unique characters who contribute in varying ways and actually deliver "the funny" while throwing on a silly accent is something entirely different. Ryan Noel as Max also delivers in his role, generally making his role much more than just the straight man (is that a pun?) to the Newman Brother's over the top shenanigans. His constant questioning of the situations surrounding him can be a bit nerving at times, but his character becomes endearing as the film progresses. Noel does a great job on both fronts, as a performer and filmmaker. With a tight plot and quick pace, the film moves along and looks great while doing it. With some great post production editing techniques and title-cards for the main characters. Overall it's a hilarious and bizarre look at the gangster-film pastiche, butting scenes together with famous mob film quotes that ensure tha audience that this was a film made by actual fans of the genre themselves. I absolutely recommend it to anyone looking to see how slick the independent film scene can be. You can read more about the film at the Retro Films Entertainment website or at SubProd.com. Check it out, it might be one of the funniest independent features I've come across.