Review by
Eric Hillis
Directed by: Owen Kline
Starring: Daniel Zolghadri, Matthew Maher, Maria Dizzia, Josh
Pais, Miles Emanuel, Marcia DeBonis
A few years ago we got a spate of movies in which normies found
themselves hanging out in the company of troubled celebs like Marilyn
Monroe (My Week with Marilyn), James Dean (Life) and Miles Davis (Miles Ahead). Owen Kline's directorial debut Funny Pages has
a similar setup, but the "celeb" in question here – Wallace (Matthew Maher), a washed up, embittered and dangerous former colour separator for a
comics publisher - only holds that status in the mind of the film's
young protagonist, budding 18-year-old cartoonist Robert (Daniel Zolghadri).
Funny Pages is executive produced by the Safdie brothers,
and you can see why they were attracted to Kline's film. It has the same
scuzzy energy as their own work and is populated by a similar roster of
deadbeats and weirdoes, along with a central character who is almost
impossible to warm to yet always engaging.
Like a Gen-Z Holden Caulfield, Robert is a smartass kid who thinks he
knows better than any of the adults around him, and this leads him into
volatile situations, often involving possible sexual threats. The first
of these scenarios comes in the film's arresting pre-credits sequence,
in which we see Robert's art teacher, Mr. Katano (Stephen Adly Guirgis), strip naked and ask Robert to draw him. It's never quite clear
whether Katano is doing this for some sexual thrill or as his own
misguided way of encouraging Robert's art (his obese form resembles
those of the Robert Crumb inspired caricatures Robert favours in his
cartoons), but Robert soon becomes uncomfortable and makes his excuses.
Katano catches up with him and offers a lift in his car just before
another vehicle arrives speeding out of nowhere, killing the teacher on
impact.
Katano had encouraged Robert to skip college and devote himself to his
art. Despite his parents' (Maria Dizzia and Josh Pais)
disapproval, Robert follows that advice, leaving home to move into an
incredibly dingy basement sub-let whose tenants – the elderly Barry (Michael Townsend Wright) and the middle-aged Steven (Cleveland Thomas Jr) – pose a
similarly ambiguous threat as his late teacher. With the heating
constantly jacked up, the basement is like a boiler room, soaking
everything in sweat – it makes for one of the most memorable locations
of recent movies and you might feel the need for a shower by the time
the credits roll.
After breaking into his late teacher's apartment to retrieve some of
his drawings, Robert is arrested and insists on taking on a public
defender, Cheryl (Marcia DeBonis), rather than the lawyer his
parents want to employ. Cheryl wins the case and is charmed by what she
sees as Robert's "independent spirit," taking him on as her
secretary/gopher. Robert's naivete is compounded by his ecstatic
reaction to his first pay cheque, a grand total of $63.
While working for Cheryl, Robert comes into contact with Wallace, who
has been charged with assaulting the manager of a local pharmacy.
Wallace is clearly deranged but when Robert learns he once worked for
Image Comics he becomes obsessed with adopting Wallace as his mentor.
After initially fobbing the kid off, Wallace decides to exploit Robert's
enthusiasm, charging him $300 for an art lesson and roping him into an
act of revenge against the pharmacist. Things come to an explosive head
when Robert invites Wallace to his family home for Christmas.
Funny Pages has a loose episodic structure that falls
somewhere between 'Catcher in the Rye' and Withnail and I. At first glance it may seem we're in for a typical American indie
coming-of-age story, but Robert never really comes of age and there
isn't so much a story as a series of events and confrontations, ending
at a point that comes across like the film is missing its final act.
Some viewers may find this lack of closure frustrating, while for others
it will be refreshingly honest. How many of us really "come of age" as a
teenager, regardless of how dramatic the events we experience are? Sure,
we learn lessons, but it's usually only later in life that we realise
what we should have taken away from certain experiences.
Obsessed with the idea of "subversion," Robert purposely makes the
worst choices at every turn, often putting himself in potential danger.
Most of us over a certain age will identify with his parents'
frustration, yet we can understand why Robert might be acting in such a
manner. We're constantly told that to produce great art you need to have
life experience, something Robert's not going to get staying in his
cloistered middle class world. Is Funny Pages somewhat
autobiographical on Kline's part? I suspect so, as the characters and
situation here feel relatable despite their outrageousness.
Zolghadri is quite the find, charming enough to make you realise why
people like his doting friend Miles (Miles Emanuel) stick with
him, yet also possessing a sinister quality, as though Robert might turn
to a mass shooting if this cartoon business doesn't pan out. A character
actor who is the very definition of "oh, it's that guy," Maher gets a
rare meaty part and delivers one of the year's most thrilling
performances, his Wallace as scary as he is hilarious.
