The third time is not necessarily the charm for Jared and Jerusha Hess, co-writers of "Napoleon Dynamite" (2004), "Nacho Libre" (2006) and now "Gentlemen Broncos" (2009). Fans of "Napoleon" in particular will be mildly disappointed with the duo's latest film, which utilizes the same awkward underdog equation that has come to define the Hesses' work, though "Broncos" introduces a few new, pleasant variables.
The film is set in the quirky and isolated world of Benjamin Purvis (Michael Angarano), a 17-year-old homeschooled kid with a passion for science fiction. When Benjamin discovers that Dr. Ronald Chevalier (Jemaine Clement), acclaimed sci-fi writer and Benjamin's idol, will be lecturing at the Cletus Festival, he parts from his mother (Jennifer Coolidge) for a weekend to attend the "best writers' camp in Utah." There he allows a fellow writer named Tabitha (Halley Feiffer) to read his most prized manuscript, entitled "Yeast Lords: The Bronco Years." With her encouragement, he submits his piece to a writing competition judged by Dr. Chevalier.
It quickly becomes evident that Benjamin has placed his trust in the wrong people and his writing in the wrong hands. Tabitha's friend Lonnie (Héctor Jiménez), a filmmaker of dubious ability and quality, offers to make "Yeast Lords" into what becomes a decidedly Z-grade movie. Meanwhile, Chevalier peruses Benjamin's manuscript in awe and decides to plagiarize the story, tweaking the details ever so slightly and publishing it under the name "The Chronicles of Brutus and Balzaak." The more Benjamin's work is bastardized, the more his life seems to spin out of control.
Although the film's main character is arguably as socially inept as Napoleon (Jon Heder) in "Napoleon Dynamite," Benjamin is much more relatable. This is partially because Benjamin is a typical Hess character, but also because Angarano's performance is so impressively authentic. Because Benjamin is fairly reserved, Angarano is often given the difficult task of conveying intense emotion in silence. Through subtle nuances, he beautifully captures Benjamin's conflict and repression, bringing a poignancy to the screen without which the film would truly suffer.
Yet the true star of the film is Clement, who is best known for co-starring in the HBO series "Flight of the Conchords." Even the most devout fans of the show could not have predicted Clement's hilarious portrayal of an unabashedly arrogant sci-fi has-been. His accent affected and his deadpan delicious, Clement makes an incredible bumbling villain. Whether explaining how tacking the suffix "-anous" onto a character's name can vastly improve a story, singing a fictional extraterrestrial ode to one of his adoring fans or ignoring the Bluetooth he never removes for a handheld telephone, he is the comedic beacon that guides the viewers through the inconsistently amusing plotline.
Many of the film's laugh-out-loud moments depend on bodily malfunctions, which are entertaining in turn, but soon grow tiresome. Is it funny when a snake unleashes a stream of diarrhea all over white-robed Dusty (Mike White), Benjamin's church-appointed guardian angel? Definitely. Does the audience laugh when Benjamin's mother is struck in the chest with a dart dipped in human feces and rat poison? Absolutely. But when Benjamin is kissed directly after throwing up and the camera zooms in on the chunks of vomit still clinging to his face, the moment begets more "yucks!" than yuks, and it becomes apparent that the filmmakers may have pushed the envelope a bit too far.
The film nicely celebrates the absurd culture of science fiction. In "Napoleon" it is difficult to tell whether the Hesses are saluting or mocking their subject matter, but it is evident in "Broncos" that any jabs are all in the name of good fun. Admittedly, Benjamin and Chevalier's works are crass, including groan-inducing phenomena like laser-shooting breasts and plumes of black, yeasty breath. Yet it is difficult to accuse "Broncos" of being nastily derogatory when the opening credits feature a lovely montage of genuine sci-fi book covers. It helps that the genre's most sincere proponent, Benjamin, is so likable and sympathetic. Because the film respects Benjamin, it respects all of the things he stands for, including his love of the ludicrous.
Although "Gentlemen Broncos" cannot rightfully claim a spot amongst truly legendary films, it is enjoyable and amusing nevertheless. More importantly, it proves that the Hesses still have the potential, if yet untapped, to make a film that will rock the cinematic world even more than "Napoleon" did five years ago.
