A business course on cutthroat industrialism disguised as a slacker comedy: Thats the kindest method to explain Michael Lehmanns Flakes, a film that shares the smug, hipper-than-thou sensibility of its sour protagonist, Neal Downs (Aaron Stanford).
An aspiring rock artist who manages a New Orleans eatery where the only costs of fare is breakfast cereal, Neal is a reflexively sarcastic deadbeat whose equally sour sweetheart, Pussy Katz (Zooey Deschanel), shares his bohemian imagine traveling the country in an Airstream trailer, making music and art.
The walls of the dining establishment, called Flakes, are lined with cereal boxes, consisting of uncommon ceased brands. As consumers slop up exotic mixes, the film recommends a deadpan satire of gourmet fetishism. One home specialty chocolate-flavored grains soaked in chocolate milk sounds particularly nauseating.
Owned by Willie (Christopher Lloyd), a shabby hippie geezer with mad-scientist hair, Flakes limps along as a hangout for deadbeats up until a bright-eyed nouveau riche visitor, Stuart (Keir ODonnell), proposes turning it into a rewarding franchise. When Willie and Neal express no interest, Stuart develops a rival Flakes across the street, and the New Orleans cereal wars begin.
Wishing to put Stuart out of business, Neal starts playing unclean techniques, the nastiest of which is the distribution of fliers to the homeless promising 10 free bowls per customer at his competitors facility. The trick triggers a near-riot that Stuart masterfully turns to his advantage.
Neals brand-new live-in relationship with Pussy starts to curdle when she turns traitor and goes to work for the competition, hoping that the death of the original Flakes will leave Neal with time to finish his CD. If the name of atrioventricular bundle, Cereal Killers, is perfectly selected, its music is a joke.
When attorneys end up being associated with the disagreement, the motion pictures anti-establishment attitude evaporates, as does the teeny little bit of levity Flakes has generated.
FLAKES
Opens on Wednesday in Manhattan; likewise on Video as needed.
Directed by Michael Lehmann; composed by Chris Poche and Karey Kirkpatrick; director of photography, Nancy Schreiber; modified by Nicholas C. Smith; music by Jason Derlatka and Jon Ehrlich; produced by Gary Winick and Jake Abraham; launched by IFC First Take. At the IFC Center, 323 Opportunity of the Americas, at Third Street, Greenwich Village. Running time: 1 hour 24 minutes. This film is not ranked.
WITH: Aaron Stanford (Neal Downs), Zooey Deschanel (Miss Pussy Katz), Christopher Lloyd (Willie), Frank Wood (Bruce), Ryan Donowho (Skinny Larry), Izabella Miko (Strawberry) https://diigo.com/0j4pjt and Keir ODonnell (Stuart).