Reviewed by Elliot V. Kotek
(from the 2008 Cinequest Film Festival World Premiere)
Director: Craig Saavedra
Writer: Tom Nance
Starring: Michael Schulman, James LeGros, Enrico Colantoni, Brooke Nevin, Lacey Chabert, Donna Murphy
One of the fun surprises at this year's Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose, California, is the feature directorial debut of former producer Craig Saavedra. In fact, a majority of the team both behind and in front of the Sherman's Way lens is better known to television viewers than their popcorn-eating cousins. With a majority of the film shot in close proximity to the festival, the premiere of Sherman's Way seemed to be fortuitously imbued with the heartfelt appreciation of local cinephiles as well as the film's intimate family of filmmakers.
With a lead character in Sherman Black (Michael Schulman) who bestows the beginning of the film with one hell of an annoying proverbial preppie stick-in-the-mud patronized into following his mother's powerful legal prowess, the audience is forced for a few minutes to hope for a respite from the pompous Manhattanite. And the film delivers! The success of this piece of cinema lies in its ability to convey, with honest and humorous performances, a slice of life that feels simultaneously old-fashioned and contemporary. And, while James Le Gros is the spark that ignites this pic to its charming/endearing/warm-hearted wonder, Enrico Colantoni and Brooke Nevin provide similar perfection to their creations - honest performances with a hint of the unique.
Le Gros, as ex-Winter Olympian Palmer "Bomber" Van Dyke, is as good as he's ever been. His performance (and the writing) brings Bomber a depth and delusion that forces the laugh from your lungs. Le Gros flies in the face of cliché and, in doing so, brings a reality to his character's collision-course of a life. Nevin is stunning onscreen, and her ease suggests a star in the making - you would be forgiven for wondering what her character sees in Schulman's Sherman other than something completely different from her character's day-to-day small-town environs.
Bomber and Sherman (and their British convertible MGB) make for unlikely allies, but the script and sincerity inherent over the course of Saavedra's creation puts perspective on their budding friendship, and the characters' needs from and for each other are crafted with an obvious care that pays dividends.
Sherman's Way would do well to continue on the festival circuit, and is likely to acquire audience kudos on its journey. While it may not reach the successes of the similarly lensed but significantly smarter Sideways of a few years' back, it definitely has the potential to continue serenading audiences for many magical miles.
© 2008 Sherman's Way LLC & Starry Night Entertainment LLC. All rights reserved. Photo credit: Josh Doughty
MPM's From-the-Filmmaker exclusive, "Getting in Sherman's Way."
To find out more about this film, go to www.shermansway.com |
