These Hopeless Savages

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"These Hopeless Savages" is an "indie" film in the stereotypical sense — an indie soundtrack, two characters escaping the confines of their comforts to experience "life" and ... that's about it. The story, the dialogue, the characters. If you've ever watched a student film, you've seen everything "These Hopeless Savages" has to offer.

It opens with Greg (Matt Dellapina), a musician who pays the bills by playing songs at children's birthday parties. One day, he's expelled by a parent for playing a song with lyrics obviously written for an older friend; on the same day, his long-term girlfriend laughs when he proposes marriage to her. Luckily, an old college friend, Shawn (Sean Christopher Lewis, who also wrote the screenplay) comes knocking at his door, ushering Greg off on a road trip with the promise of $50,000 once they reach their destination in Iowa. On the way to Iowa, they reconnect with Shawn's estranged family members. It becomes increasingly clear to Greg that Shawn is not entirely right in the head and, as well, that the $50,000 does not really exist at the end of the rainbow.

The chemistry between the two leads is pretty strong, but the dialogue feels written. Watching "These Hopeless Savages" feels like watching a film made by college students, but with a budget. The dialogue feels consciously 'naturalistic." Characters talk about beer, about sex, about growing up and being in love, without actually saying anything. Much of the film, in an odd way, feels enamored with its own existence.

It's hard to connect with the characters in "These Hopeless Savages," if only because the film celebrates characters whose flaws are not as interesting as they think they are. There are plenty of scenes of characters looking out into the distance pensively, trapped in their own feelings. But the ultimate conflicts they face, and the resolution of those conflicts, feel so mundane. "I'm too comfortable in life. Now I'm unhappy, I'll drive across country and figure myself out for a weekend" just doesn't make for a very dynamic conflict. In the end, the movie makes the characters feel very naval-gazing and not terribly likable.

Ultimately, you've probably seen "These Hopeless Savages" before. It's a movie made by young people whose talent is there, quite obviously, but not formed enough to create a compelling drama. Names to watch in the future, but not really a movie worth watching now.