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Having never heard the infamous “Red” audio recording I went into this one rather blind. It didn't take long for my eyes to open really wide, as for the next thirty or so minutes I 'took in' an outrageous little movie. If I wasn't laughing my ass off (quite a feat!) I was watching in joyous dread as to where this twisted film was heading. Lawrence Tierney is an absolute hoot as a frenzied beefy bartender who must put up with an obnoxious prank-caller whose gab-garbage ranges from the hopelessly silly “Is Al Koholic there?” to the more pimple-faced juvenile “Is Mike Hunt there?” As the calls continue to come in at a hellacious pace ol 'Red' gets more and more steamed, finally letting off a stream of obscenities of his own. In “Taxi Driver” fashion it's only a matter of time before the viewer knows that all bloody hell is going to break loose, either in fantasy or reality, and in this case, both. Tierney's performance is a solid one built on the premise that everyone reaches the end of their rope sometime, but who knows to what extent that individual will go in letting the air out of their emotional tire so-to-speak. How Red handles this “asshole of phonedom” is surprising, unsettling, and ultimately quite sad. In a mere half-hour it isn't hard to see some insight into Red's character; that of a basically likeable guy, finding himself dealing with his own insecurities, his manhood up against this persistent prankster.
Now don't get me wrong. Chris Gore has not fashioned a Truffaut piece, (I don't think he could live with himself if that were the case!) but rather a somewhat “humanistic” black comedy laced with spontaneous bouts of shocking gore. Intelligently written, nicely photographed, and well acted, “Red” is a most unusual and somewhat unnerving experience, highly recommended for connoisseurs of dark diversions.
Rating: 9 out of 10
- By Tom Brown
Rating:  [5 of 5 Stars!] |
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