MicroCinema Scene

I’ll be honest – this movie wasn’t even on my radar until I fell in love with the American version of The Office, and I get the feeling I’m not alone in that.  But when I realized that it starred Jenna Fischer (who plays the receptionist, Pam) it was immediately bumped to the top of my Netflix queue.

Despite the current star power of the cast, Lollilove was actually made prior to Fischer’s television breakout, and it’s microbudget cinema all the way.  Distributed by Troma (most likely because of Gunn’s ties to the company – he wrote Tromeo and Juliet), it’s tells the tale of Jenna and James Gunn, a well-off couple that wants to “give back” to the community.  So after deciding that all of the other charities have been done to death, they decide on helping the homeless.  It’s their way of helping that lets you know this is a mockumentary:  Jenna’s big idea is to hand out lollipops, each with an inspirational message and “artwork” from hubby James.

Shot documentary-style, Fischer wisely focuses on the story and the dialogue with humorous results.  While there are a few laugh outloud moments, it tends more towards chuckles as the emphasis is more on the characters than gags.  The highlight would have to be The Presentation, where the couple try to woo a big money investor by putting on a sketch in his office that’s so politically incorrect yet endearing it’s hard to believe anyone would invest, yet it works.  There’s also the big moment when everything they’ve been working towards come together as they finally reach out to the homeless, and it’s as tender as it is awkward (they’re not all acting), and a great way to wrap things up.

Of course it’s not without its flaws, as is the case with most microbudget flicks.  The sound quality varies at times and the lighting is a bit dark in some scenes, but it doesn’t take away from the overall picture.  It’s also a hard concept to develop into a full-length feature, but Fischer and Gunn do a nice job of incorporating still shots and wedding video from their real lives to flesh out their characters (if using your own names and your home videos isn’t micro, I don’t know what is).

A b-storyline of some kind might have helped, and a woman who volunteers to help that James has an attraction to seemed to be going in that direction but it’s never developed.  It’s also not clear how James is able to be so wealthy when it seems like all he does is paint, yet he’s identified as a “TV Executive.” Ultimately though there are enough laughs to keep you from noticing little things like that and the shorter running time.

The acting is top-notch, with Fischer carrying the load.  But the real surprise here is James Gunn.  On the micro scene he’s become one of the most envied yet hated men around due to his being able to go from working on no-budget Troma films to writing the Scooby Doo blockbusters and most recently writing and directing Slither.  Him being married to Fischer only adds to that jealousy.  But in the movie and the extras he comes across as extremely likeable, especially in the bonus material where he talks freely about his move from Troma (he still has the original script, which looks to be written in Times New Roman instead of Courier) to the big time.

Speaking of the extras, there are plenty to go around.  There are interviews with the cast talking about the lengthy shooting time (over the course of years, something all micro filmmakers can relate to), as well as outtakes and deleted scenes.  And the man himself, Lloyd Kaufman, who has a small but cute role as a priest who counsels the young couple, is all over the extras doing his own interviews and taking us behind the scenes on Slither.  Lloyd asking Gunn inappropriate questions about money is a treat.  Another is Fischer explaining as a director that in a comedy not EVERY scene has to be funny, something other directors on the scene could stand to learn.

Despite the budget limitations, Fischer’s script and the performances by the cast - including guest turns by well-known actors like Linda Cardellini (the Scooby Doo movies) and Judy Greer (whom I will always love as the woman who couldn’t help but flash her breasts on Arrested Development) - make Lollilove a fine addition to the microbudget scene.  Odds are it’ll get more scrutiny now that the leads are becoming household names (especially thanks to their MySpace activity), but the hope is that people realize it’s a microbudget feature in the truest sense of the word.  Hopefully Fischer will get behind the camera again soon – it’ll be interesting to see what she can do with a real budget and a crew that’s more than two people. 

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