A company course on cutthroat capitalism camouflaged as a slacker funny: Thats the kindest way to describe Michael Lehmanns Flakes, a film that shares the smug, hipper-than-thou sensibility of its sour lead character, Neal Downs (Aaron Stanford).
A hopeful rock musician who handles a New Orleans eatery where the only bill of fare is breakfast cereal, Neal is a reflexively ironical deadbeat whose equally sour sweetheart, Pussy Katz (Zooey Deschanel), shares his bohemian dream of taking a trip the country in an Airstream trailer, making music and art.
The walls of the restaurant, called Flakes, are lined with cereal boxes, consisting of unusual ceased brands. As consumers slop up exotic combinations, the film recommends a deadpan satire of premium fetishism. One house specialty chocolate-flavored grains steeped in chocolate milk sounds especially nauseating.
Owned by Willie (Christopher Lloyd), a decrepit hippie geezer with mad-scientist hair, Flakes limps along as a hangout for deadbeats up until a bright-eyed yuppie visitor, Stuart (Keir ODonnell), proposes turning it into a lucrative franchise. When Willie and Neal reveal no interest, Stuart develops a rival Flakes throughout the street, and the New Orleans cereal wars start.
Intending to put Stuart out of organization, Neal starts playing unclean tricks, the nastiest of which is the circulation of fliers to the homeless appealing 10 free bowls per customer at his rivals facility. The prank sets off Find out more a near-riot that Stuart skillfully 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 competitors, hoping that the demise of the initial Flakes will leave Neal with time to finish his CD. If the name of atrioventricular bundle, Cereal Killers, is perfectly chosen, its music is a joke.
When legal representatives become involved in the disagreement, the films anti-establishment attitude vaporizes, as does the tiny bit of levity Flakes has produced.
FLAKES
Opens on Wednesday in Manhattan; likewise on Video as needed.
Directed by Michael Lehmann; written by Chris Poche and Karey Kirkpatrick; director of photography, Nancy Schreiber; edited by Nicholas C. Smith; music by Jason Derlatka and Jon Ehrlich; produced by Gary Winick and Jake Abraham; released by IFC First Take. At the IFC Center, 323 Avenue of the Americas, at Third Street, Greenwich Village. Running time: 1 hour 24 minutes. This movie 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) and Keir ODonnell (Stuart).