Search - Grilled on DVD

Glengarry Glen Ross meets Pulp Fiction, via The Cook, the Th

Salixa | Czech Republic | 07/10/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"An idiosyncratic comedy which starts modestly and grows into itself before the viewer even begins to see the many layers of dark humor and refined playfulness, the simple theme which grows with such complex resonance -- at once plainly hilarious and touching, driven in no small part by the many singular performances of several brilliant character actors, each of whom has created a peculiar, uniquely odd and yet humanizing voice which prevents them, and in turn the story, from flirting with absurdity -- "Grilled" is a gem hiding in the guise of pyrite until you can catch up with the plot.

Based on a brilliant script and storyline, "Grilled" is at once very much like a stage-play and yet very cinematic; and this conflict in tone is controlled in a manner very complimentary to the film's jazzily syncopated comic rhythms, the black humor melding and playing with the oddball craziness of the storyline, the wickedly mordant dialog and clever diatribes compelling us past the peculiar premise and plot through variously improbable situations, wonderfully and spontaneously played and made immediate and real by the actors's commitment and understanding of their roles.

"Grilled" is a little roadster of a nervy film, which at first glance may not impress the critics as they scan the cover images and mentally categorize it from its packaging features. However it defies category, defies belief with disbelief, defies the viewer to sink trustingly into it ("willing suspension" et.al.) and savor the cascade of intelligent wit; rock with the rhythm of its break-beat pace and roll with its punches in exchange for which, it reflects the oddly familiar image of the (human) flaws and greatness inherent in any singular experience we have or can imagine.. It's a film content to plumb modest depths while engineering dynamics of such breadth that 'a day in the life of' turns out to have epic overtones -- leaving the mind spinning in thought long after your sides have calmed down from laughing."