tdrish
First off, let me say this: I absolutely love the Bobcat! He cracked me up way back in the 80's with his earlier work in the Police Academy films. Since then, he's done some outrageous comedies, with long time friend Robin Williams, such as Shakes The Clown. By the time the 2010's came in, it was obvious that he wanted to be known as something much more then the class clown. He wanted to be somebody. And he did by, simply put, making the type of films most didn't have the balls to make. This is why I have a deep passion for independent films. They're not under the pressure of big shot corporations trying to tell you what you can and can't do to make your movie big. And in God Bless America, he comes out with all guns blazing...literally. The story, in short, goes like this: a man lives by himself next door to a family that is keeping him awake at night. He has visions of shooting them all down . Possibly even fighting depression, it helms the standard "ready to blow" kind of guy, a walking timebomb where even the slightest trigger may set him off. After losing his job, just because he did something...(nice)....he contemplates commiting suicide. ( I put nice in parentheses because I personally consider it creepy and maybe even a form of harassment, however, the job I currently work at says it is okay to do so. You will have to watch it to know what I am talking about.) Matters really get worse when he is diagnosed with a brain tumor. With nothing left to lose, he decides to take matter in his own hands, with an unlikey aid as a partner in crime, and goes on a killing spree. Who do they kill? You name it. Mean spirited people, the guy taking up two parking spaces with his car, uncaring celebrities, the homophobic activists, he even offs off a suspected pedophile. The films underlying message is strong and clear...he's just fed up with the direction that America is headed. I do stand by the way one would feel about all this, I just wouldn't go so far as to turn to crime to get my point across. I grew up in a time without the internet, without wifi, without all the technology around us today. A simple time. Times are not so simple anymore, and this film demonstrates a Natural Born Killers for a new generation perhaps. I grew up in a time where people seemed to care more for other people, and as time went on, we seem to disconnect ourselves further and further, becoming unsensitive to the people around us. There's even talk about them leaving for France. In a sense, he just targets the people he feels have absolutely no right to live. The people who matter, you may be safe...for the moment. Has American society really sank to new lows? And if so, how low can it possibly go, before someone may really snap just like Joel in this film? I know. I may have overthought the movie. Then again, with all the outbreaks of violence that is happening at alarming rates in our American culture, you just can't shake the feeling that this all may not be a bad dream after all. 8 out of 10 stars. Great job, Bobcat...you keep on trucking!
adamkatav
I feel just like Frank, and every day I keep getting more and more frustrated by western society. I laughed so hard like I haven't in a long time. The movie is all about criticizing western society and letting off all the steam that is building in people like Frank, people who just want to be nice, and civilized.
Theo Robertson
Fran a middle aged man is diagnosed with a brain tumor . Becoming increasingly frustrated at popular culture he decides to hit back at society Fed up with a world where heroes are defined as people with their own reality TV show and Twitter accounts are more important than real life ? Yeah me too. So not only should GBA be right up our street but should be knocking on our door as well. The disappointing thing is that I haven't seen a film recently with such a premise that it genuinely promises to talk to me then proceeds to blow everything in a short period of time !!!!! SPOILERS !!!! From the get go you can see the point director/screenwriter Bobcat Goldthwait is making . Just in case you don't the narrative spends much more time than it needs to spelling things out. The media insist on making stars out of nobodies . Yes we know . Yes I understand . Can you please change the record now , we get it . Yes please get on the story please. Please. There then follows a scene which is blackly comical and quite shocking in equal measure . I was in two minds about this . One is how are you going to follow this up for another 90 minutes ? The other thought I had was this is really a dream sequence. Guess what one turns out to be true ? At several points in the movie I constantly asked myself if the entire story is a dream sequence due to some staggering ill thought out plotting. Frank teams up with a 16 year old sociopath girl called Roxy after killing teenage reality star Chloe. They then kill Chloe's parents. However there is a significant time gap between the two incidents where the parents are unaware of their child's death which doesn't make any sense . Wouldn't the school immediately contact the parents ? Wouldn't the police turn up at the doorstep to break the news ? Yes they would but the screenplay is littered with such clumsy ill thought out writing such as Roxy going back to her parents claiming she was kidnapped while the story forgets that there are witnesses to her crimes . In reality both her and Frank would be fugitives if this all happened in real life. The film constantly does this ignoring common sense as to what has happened before This is a pity because as I stated earlier in the comment this is a film that wants to say something to its audience about shallow popular culture and is a really great premise. This is all ruined by dreadful writing which totally dilutes the scathing blackly comical elements. So much so one wonders if Goldthwait is worried the film would destroy his career in much the same way as NATURAL BORN KILLERS destroyed Oliver Stone's reputation. As it stands the GBA has backfired anyway
Vicente Garcia
I recently came across this movie and I was not expecting this. God Bless America is a movie filled with dark humor and speaks nothing but the truth about the human race's modern day principles especially the culture now in America. You might think for a second that it is an action film or a suspense thriller because of all the shooting but it is just basically a dark comedy catered for audiences that are open to the issues of this world's is facing.The film feels so surreal yet still focuses on its main goal: to blatantly share a satirical approach on how America is a total crap right now. The scoring throughout the film may be one of the best things that happened to this film and also, the songs picked for the movie. The comical tune blended with gory actions scenes are the highlights the film. The ending captivated me. I know Frank has his own shortcomings as a person drowning with self-pity. But despite it, Joel Murray gave Frank's character justice for a subtle and genuine performance for the role.You can literally see Bobcat Goldthwait's frustrations about the problem with reality shows, bigots, misogynists, and hypocritical Christians. Some may find God Bless America just a normal film or even a worse film, but it is a must watch because you might be surprised on how true the movie's claim and stand is.
