The only thing worse than watching most twenty-something angst movies is bearing witness to the tortured soul of an artist. This is especially true if that artist is helping along his angst with an unhealthy mix of drugs and alcohol.
Part mockumentary, part overwrought drama, director Kevin Patrick’s “Hurry Up and Wait” explores one fruitless night in the lives of two musicians as they begin recording their new album. Seymour (David Bruckner) and Peter (writer Jacob Gentry) form the core of “Altruistic,” a self-described “underground, alternative, punk, fusion, trip-hop rock act.” As Seymour is a bit of a dim bulb and Peter’s doing lines to counteract the effects of too much Xanax, it should come as no surprise that the two musicians haven’t rolled much tape.
In stark contrast to this nearly real-time disaster is footage from “Inside Sounds.” A thinly veiled knock-off of VH-1’s “Behind the Music,” the musicians’ slick and polished sheen on this mock interview show contrasts sharply with their sordid reality on display this night.
“Hurry Up and Wait” could have been a powerful and poignant satire on the price of fame. It might, with some tweaking, probably make for a decent one-act play. Yet as a short film, it misfires badly; its characters little more than stereotypical caricatures, its dialogue a series of pretentious, easy to tune out rantings and monologues. Which is why rolling your eyes through “Hurry Up and Wait,” a self-important paean to the trials and tribulations of the creative spirit, is about as much fun as baby-sitting a sloppy sappy drunk.
