Hot Picks
|
|
|
The Republic of Rick
USA 2014
produced by Mario Kyprianou, Becky Leigh
directed by Mario Kykrianou
starring David Abed, Ronnie Lee Steadman, Becky Leigh, John Macey, Darrell Philip, Angie Gregory, Glen McDougal, Lori Jean Wilson, Josie Estaban Hoskins, Paul Whetstone, John Riverwood, Stephanie Yadon, Chris Cleveland, Willie Travis, Sam Burkett, Holly White, John-Paul Nickel, Rusty White, Stan Knight, Barbara Ladin, Phillip Cook, Stephanie Roede, David Humphries, Serendipity Lilliana, Kiley Aguinaga, Timothy Ryan Cole, Keenan Jackson, Sarah McKenzie, Dale Sheldon, Lori Hands, Marie Reeves, David Stenstrom, David Lockhart, Danny Castro, Anna Bradley
written by Mario Kyprianou, Becky Leigh, music by Ronnie Lee Steadman, Mario Kyprianou, Becky Leigh
review by Mike Haberfelner
|
|
|
|
Available on DVD! To buy, click on link(s) below and help keep this site afloat (commissions earned) |
Always make sure of DVD-compatibility!!!
|
|
|
|
|
Originally, Rick (Dave Abed) was just a little weirdo, an Alamo
re-enactor who took his role as Davy Crockett a little too seriously, and
who thought being "ambassador" of the "Republic of
Texas", a group of hardcore yet peaceful Secessionists (in 1998)
actually meant something. But when he tries to chase the mailman (Willie
Travis) off his land - rather the patch of land he parks his trailer on -
and finds out he does not have diplomatic immunity, and to top it off is
thrown out of the "Republic of Texas" club for his behaviour.
Now he makes his patch of land the one and only official "Republic of
Texas", and actually does find a few followers, like the veteran with
a criminal record Travis (Ronnie Lee Steadman), the borderline paranoid IT
man Gary (John Macey), disgraced minister Chuck (Darrell Philip) and wife
Beth (Angie Gregory), Rick's own wife Tandy (Becky Leigh), and ... no, no
and, that's it, actually. So ok, if a handful of loonies think they live
in their own nation, let them, if they chase away the mailman every day,
that's no longer nice, if they start to freak out the neighbours, ouch -
but when Rick tries to avoid arrest for attacking the mailman, takes his
neighbour Bill (Glen McDougal) hostage after Gary got arrested for
carrying a gun, and turns the whole thing into a huge spectacle, well,
that's when the shit starts to hit the fan. And when the feds are taking
over, Rick starts to believe he has launched what he always wanted, an
international diplomatic incident that will give him the legitimacy he has
strived for ... Whoever's into political satire and/or reads
conspiracy theories just for the fun of it and/or loves these
"secessionist" stories just for their entertainment value will
very probably love The Republic of Rick, because it gets loads of
things right about loud minorities, appropriated paranoia, and actually
politics as such - but not in a preaching way, as the film, while it shows
the psychological decay of Rick, doesn't alienate him from the viewer but
actually does show him as a visionary and hero ... whose ideas were
actually just 100% wrong. On top of that, the movie's very well
structured, subly directed, competently played and fortunately stays away
from cheap jokes, so you'll very possibly be greatly entertained, no
matter where your political preferences might lie!
|