Frenemy - DVD

Film: It is always fascinating to see what consequences the success of a film or an actor can have. For example, after the success of American Pie, quite a few comedies were released that were given an American in the title to create a reference to the hit movie, or that more or less cleverly varied the movie title (happened with One, Two.Pie, for example) to attract the interest of the audience. Currently it is Hangover star Zach Galifianakis whose popularity is used in such a way. Thus, with nice regularity, small productions in which Galifianakis has participated in whatever way appear in such packaging, suggesting to the inclined viewer that they are dealing with a Hangover-style comedy.

The indie film Little Fish, Strange Pond is also one of these films. After the comedy has not found a distributor for a long time, now the title has simply been changed to Frenemy, the likeness of Galifianakis, who only plays a small supporting role, has been put on the cover in a big way and the cheat pack is ready. So Frenemy is not your typical Hangover comedy. But does that mean the film isn't worth watching?

The film follows Sweet Stephen (Callum Blue) and Mr. Jack (Matthew Modine) as they wander around Los Angeles talking about love, violence, sex, porn and death. In the process, they are followed by a trail of blood and death that leads police officer Tommy (Adam Baldwin) on their trail. Finally, on the set of the Dennis Rivers Show, the big showdown ensues.

Not much more can (and should) be said about the content of Frenemy. It's clear that the creators here drew inspiration from the comedies of Kevin Smith (Clerks, Dogma) and the whimsicality of a David Lynch. But director Gregory Dark, who began his career with films like New Wave Hookers and Deep Inside Vanessa el Rio before not-quite-convincingly dabbling in the horror genre with See no Evil, has neither the cleverness nor the stylistic finesse to live up to those models. His occasionally bitterly wicked social satire has good and very funny moments. But in many scenes it just seems too clever and overdone to be really convincing. In addition, the dubbing also has some weaknesses. It may sound like splitting hairs, but when Bucky, played by Zach Galifianakis, claims to be the best dealer between here and Venice, it should be clear that he means the part of Los Angeles and not the Venice we know. Such mistakes simply attest to a somewhat loveless job, which can be extremely negative, especially in a comedy.

The biggest weak point, however, is actor and co-producer Matthew Modine (Full Metal Jacket), who goes out of his way to play a mysterious man who is both amusing and terrifying. But his sudden loud laughter, exaggerated facial expressions, or put-on coolness just aren't convincing. Callum Blue, known from the series Dead like me, on the other hand, does a pretty good job. The same goes for Zach Galifianakis, who provides some good laughs in the few moments he is seen as the owner of a porn video store and occasional dealer. And Paul Adelstein (Prison Break, Private Practice) as a nervous robber and Adam Baldwin (Chuck, Firefly) as an eager cop also do well enough to make up for some of Modine's weaknesses. But even the actors' best efforts can do little against the rather weak script and overworked direction.

For a low budget film made in a few days for under $500,000 with a relatively good cast, Frenemy has some accomplished aspects to it. But a lead actor who is nowhere near as cool as he thinks he is and a story that would like to be incredibly clever and biting, but in the end suffers from weak direction, turn the home theater premiere into an only moderately entertaining comedy that has some clever statements to offer, but still gets on the viewer's nerves more than it entertains. Therefore, if you like American independent comedies of the more biting kind, you might just want to take a look despite the weaknesses due to the successful moments. But who expects a Hangover-style comedy with high gag density, will be bitterly disappointed guaranteed.

Picture + Sound: The low budget of the film is noticeable in the clean picture here and there by slight blurring of smaller details and overdrawing of the contrasts. In return, the coloration is just right and the overall sharpness is also respectable. The sound is dominated by the dialogues, which are particularly well accentuated in the powerful DTS mix. The English soundtrack sounds a bit more harmonious, but the German sound mix can also be described as absolutely successful, appropriate for the genre. Good!

Extras: Except for trailers, biographies of the actors and a picture gallery, the DVD has no bonus material to offer.

Conclusion: Frenemy is, unlike what the cover suggests, not a Zach Galifianakis comedy in Hangover style. Nor is the film quite as clever as it would like to be. Some biting social commentary and amusing dialogue does save the film from being a complete disappointment. But in the end, after a short 76 minutes, you're left with the feeling that another director could have done a lot more with the talents that are definitely present in front of the camera from the potential of the story

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp