SXSW Film

Rats and Cats

Narrative Feature, Emerging Visions
D: Tony Rogers; with Jason Gann, Adam Zwar, Anya Beyersdorf, Paul Denny

Intense ex-soap has-been Darren McWarren (Gann) has settled in fictitious Gladdington, where he whittles days away fronting a vanity rock band, driving masseuse Cindy (Beyersdorf) to her tricks, and composing lyrics aloud, midcoitus. From the team behind Australian cult hit Wilfred (airing stateside on IFC, beginning May) comes this devious comedy about glory days and life imitating art. Tabloid journalist Ben (Zwar) is in pursuit of a "Where are they now?" story and travels to the small coastal town to meet the self-involved McWarren; his loyal manservant, Bruce (Denny); and the cast of bit players that enacts his life, post-celebrity. The film is essentially a conversation over a weeklong series of ridiculous – and painfully banal – anticlimaxes. The result? A brooding indie hybrid of Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous as cast by Christopher Guest – and preposterously scored with enough musical tension to suit any soap opera, action film, or Peter Weir epic.

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Thursday, March 19, 6:45pm, Alamo South Lamar