Good Dick reviews
Review by on 27 Sep 2008
Playing like a LOST IN TRANSLATION for damaged and dysfunctional twenty-somethings, GOOD DICK is deeply sarcastic, obscenely foul-mouthed and has a heart of pure gold.
The threadbare, but engrossing, plot centres around a homeless video-store clerk and his increasingly desperate attempts to seduce one of his customers. Despite being vastly different people, she a loner and possible victim of childhood sexual abuse, and he a reformed drug user, they eventually bond over their mutual addiction to soft-core pornography. This premise may not sound particularly promising; however, GOOD DICK’s subtle, quirky charm gradually emerges over its brief eighty-six minute duration as the performances of the lead actors and razor-sharp dialogue win out over a badly-misjudged soundtrack and underwritten supporting characters.
First time director Palka handles proceedings with a lightness of touch that is atypical of standard American independent fare, imbuing the film with moments of pathos and genuine warmth without ever becoming mawkishly sentimental or undoing the good work of the acerbic dialogue. Despite the small budget, GOOD DICK never feels ‘cheap’ and its cinematography, sound design and set design are comparable in quality to many mid-range studio pictures.
Similar in many ways to Terry Zwigoff’s darkly comic GHOST WORLD, the film combines the bad language and vulgarity of CLERKS with the unconventional romance of ONCE. Despite these similarities, the resulting film is refreshing, new and in its frank peculiarity is wholly original within the genre. GOOD DICK is a fragile gem, a modern romance for a jaded 21st Century audience.
Tom Hadfield, Festival Daily
Playing like a LOST IN TRANSLATION for damaged and dysfunctional twenty-somethings, GOOD DICK is deeply sarcastic, obscenely foul-mouthed and has a heart of pure gold. The threadbare, but engrossing, plot centres around a homeless video-store clerk and his increasingly desperate attempts to seduce one of his customers. Despite being vastly different people, she a loner and possible victim of childhood sexual abuse, and he a reformed drug user, they eventually bond over their mutual addiction to soft-core pornography. This premise may not sound particularly promising; however, GOOD DICK’s subtle, quirky charm gradually emerges over its brief eighty-six minute duration as the performances of the lead actors and razor-sharp dialogue win out over a badly-misjudged soundtrack and underwritten supporting characters.
First time director Palka handles proceedings with a lightness of touch that is atypical of standard American independent fare, imbuing the film with moments of pathos and genuine warmth without ever becoming mawkishly sentimental or undoing the good work of the acerbic dialogue. Despite the small budget, GOOD DICK never feels ‘cheap’ and its cinematography, sound design and set design are comparable in quality to many mid-range studio pictures.
Similar in many ways to Terry Zwigoff’s darkly comic GHOST WORLD, the film combines the bad language and vulgarity of CLERKS with the unconventional romance of ONCE. Despite these similarities, the resulting film is refreshing, new and in its frank peculiarity is wholly original within the genre. GOOD DICK is a fragile gem, a modern romance for a jaded 21st Century audience.
Tom Hadfield, Festival Daily
Review by on 27 Sep 2008
Good Dick is a strange film. Ostensibly about a down-on-his luck video store assistant trying to woo one of his customers, the film slowly, darkly peels away layers of human emotion revealing a completely different story by the time the film ends.
Marianna Palka brilliantly plays the unnamed customer with an apparent porn addiction. She’s a shy introverted recluse and does not want the attention of the smitten clerk at the video store. Nevertheless, his persistence pays off and she eventually concedes to his wish that she watches his personal film recommendations and he slowly (almost forcibly) invites himself into her life.
Unfortunately, the way in which the guy ingratiates himself into her life clouds the admiration the audience would otherwise feel for his endeavours to lift her from her dark hole. In the beginning it’s too creepy, like he’s doing his stalker-school coursework and you just want to join with her in telling him to go away. Yet strangely, it is her discovery of one of his early lies that becomes a turning point for the relationship and indeed the film. For a lot of the film I didn’t feel any empathy for the girl – I didn’t get why the clerk persisted but by the end I just wanted to hold her hand.
This is a lovely story and both the characterisation and acting of the leading lady is a triumph of independent cinema. Ms Palka, I salute you!
Good Dick is a strange film. Ostensibly about a down-on-his luck video store assistant trying to woo one of his customers, the film slowly, darkly peels away layers of human emotion revealing a completely different story by the time the film ends.Marianna Palka brilliantly plays the unnamed customer with an apparent porn addiction. She’s a shy introverted recluse and does not want the attention of the smitten clerk at the video store. Nevertheless, his persistence pays off and she eventually concedes to his wish that she watches his personal film recommendations and he slowly (almost forcibly) invites himself into her life.
Unfortunately, the way in which the guy ingratiates himself into her life clouds the admiration the audience would otherwise feel for his endeavours to lift her from her dark hole. In the beginning it’s too creepy, like he’s doing his stalker-school coursework and you just want to join with her in telling him to go away. Yet strangely, it is her discovery of one of his early lies that becomes a turning point for the relationship and indeed the film. For a lot of the film I didn’t feel any empathy for the girl – I didn’t get why the clerk persisted but by the end I just wanted to hold her hand.
This is a lovely story and both the characterisation and acting of the leading lady is a triumph of independent cinema. Ms Palka, I salute you!
Review by on 27 Sep 2008
By chance, an optimistic youngster meets a cynical recluse with a dark secret, and the two begin a process of renewal which eventually redeems them both: at first glance, the plot of Good Dick seems like a homage to Kieslowski's masterpiece "Three Colours Red". The success of this film, however, lies in combining such a serious emotional core with an offbeat and hilarious comedy. Making the two leads interact over a shared love of porn was a surefire opportunity to get lots of laughs while avoiding cliche; what is more impressive is Marianna Palka's character's gradual but extremely satisfying internal journey, revealed to the audience in cinematic, unspoken style. Besides, Good Dick provides additional joy for film buffs, with a plethora of diverse references to Truffaut, Kieslowski and Lost in Translation.
By chance, an optimistic youngster meets a cynical recluse with a dark secret, and the two begin a process of renewal which eventually redeems them both: at first glance, the plot of Good Dick seems like a homage to Kieslowski's masterpiece "Three Colours Red". The success of this film, however, lies in combining such a serious emotional core with an offbeat and hilarious comedy. Making the two leads interact over a shared love of porn was a surefire opportunity to get lots of laughs while avoiding cliche; what is more impressive is Marianna Palka's character's gradual but extremely satisfying internal journey, revealed to the audience in cinematic, unspoken style. Besides, Good Dick provides additional joy for film buffs, with a plethora of diverse references to Truffaut, Kieslowski and Lost in Translation.
Film details
Good Dick
NEW FEATURES
Director: Marianna Palka
Actor: Marianna Palka
Actor: Jason Ritter
Actor: Marianna Palka
Actor: Jason Ritter
USA, 2008.
86 mins. English.
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