L'Auto (1998, NR)
Written and Directed by Richard Ferrando
Starring Aaron Miller and Brad J. Tarratt
Available at:
http://www.geocities.com/~yevlar//films/leauto/lauto-movie2.rm
As Reviewed by James Brundage
A word of advice to colleagues and independent film fans alike: watch the newsgroups. The newsgroups, the very item upon which you are most likely reading this review, is the ultimate in the form of free press. Anyone, even in the most oppressive totalitarian regime anywhere in the world, can post anything they would like to a newsgroup… provided they have access to a terminal with which to do so. Free speech exists there in its perfect form. On the very humble server (only 20,000 groups or so) that I use, news.alltel.net, you can find newsgroups ranging from alt.books.thomas-pynchon to microsoft.public.java.visualj++ to, being tongue-in-cheek, free.sex.
It was in search in alt.movies.cinematography that I discovered a link to the homepage of Rigor Mortis Productions, a company that has, in the span of three years (1997-1999), turned out 7 short films, including the brilliant sketch L'Auto.
Do not be scared away by its French name: this interesting little company is completely American, filming mostly in Royal Oak, Michigan. The imdb user commends for L'Auto was what originally brought it to the peak of my strange tastes an senses: A man has an interesting conversation with his car.
Going to the official website, I was expecting to hear something along the lines of the objects-as-narrators voice that novelist Tom Robbins has used, but instead was greeted by a nicely packaged, quick download (1.5 MB) RealVideo file of the entire film.
The free-expression artist in myself must stop to laud these people on that measure only. Far from worrying about making a profit off this film, it has become one of the first to enter the public domain. You do not have to pay to see it: all you need is an ISP and RealVideo. For those who do not have the internet, going and viewing this at your public library is an option. To see people not as concerned with making money hand over fist is music to my independent-film-loving ears.
As I was saying before I embarked on my crusade towards public-domain (long live MP3's), I expected Tom Robbins. Tom Robbins has a quiet humor, but nothing too over-the-top with each of his objects that he uses. Not only that, Tom Robbins spends countless hours inserting message into his novels, pondering over social issues, and telling an entertaining story.
Do not run away! Only number three applies to L'Auto!
L'Auto goes beyond entertaining… and into the realm of complete hilarity with this picturesque sketch where, when a man (John, played by Aaron Miller) yells at his Ford one too many times, the Ford (voiced by Brad J. Taratt) gets fed up and yells back.
What I was reminded of watching this was not Tom Robbins, not Michner, not anyone literary who uses objects or locations as narrators, but instead of … (drumroll, please) MONTY PYTHON. The entire effort seemed inspired by the Python film …And Now For Something Completely Different, a collection of the most famous Python sketches and short collected into one long, disjointed, and ungodly hilarious film.
The conversation has the Ford take the upper hand, yell at its driver in a British accent and complain about a rash the size of a Buick on its ass, to which John responds: "Not one single part of you is the size of a Buick!" only to have the Ford retort: "I was speaking metaphorically."
Like Monty Python, the only legitimate gripe that I have is that the acting isn't all that great. It is as good as the roles require, but, hell, its comedy, and acting normally doesn't mean shit in comedy.
The film makes fun in all sorts of ways, showing intelligence beyond what you would expect: who would think of a French title to an American film, only to joke? Not to mention it makes you think. It may be like the self-defense-against-a-vegetable-sketch from …And Now For Something Completely Different, but it does actually make you think.
I'm not going to say I can write a paper on this film, because I can't. In fact, this review is probably longer than the script, but damn, people, it's funny. Independent film fans, people who like off-the-wall-humor, and fellow critics alike, view this film. It's only ten minutes out of your day.
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