REVIEW: A Guy Going Crazy

You’ve got a filmmaker with a dream to make it big in Hollywood, but then add in a whole cast of characters that are full of unusual detours along the way. Felix begins to realize that the path toward his dream may not be so easy after all. Among the cast of characters in Felix’s life, we meet “his overbearing mom, drama queen girlfriend, stoner best friends, off-beat townies” and we begin to see how a bunch of “plain bad luck slowly unravel his sanity.” Sound familiar? This is the daunting tale of a typical, average joe filmmaker.

‘A Guy Going Crazy’ is a semi-autobiographical, comedic web series that tells the story of Felix (played by Rich Camp), a young, aspiring comedian/filmmaker that wants to hit his first big break. He’s been given the opportunity to film his own web show in his hometown, but he’s constantly hit with distractions from all angles. Sound even more familiar? The series was created by Rich Camp and is directed by Chris Esper. The series was brought to life in early 2013 and through a successful IndieGoGo campaign, production began in the fall.

This show reminds me of a series of comedic shorts that someone would find on a YouTube channel. Felix breaks the fourth wall and speaks to the viewers, making jabs at the people around him. The episodes are short. They range from 3 minutes to a little over 4 minutes which is great for an audience that wants entertainment quickly and on demand. It also presents the tough challenge of telling a story in a very small amount of time.

At the beginning of each episode, we are presented with what reminds me of a traditional “dumb show” in theatre. This is a sort of pantomime which actions are performed by actors without spoken dialogue. We see Felix stressing out at his desk. Then his friends and girlfriend appear individually to distract him. Through this, we are reminded of important character relationships. The “dumb show” is accompanied by appropriate upbeat music to signify to the viewers that this show is meant to be a comedy.

When watching this show, I was in the same position as Felix. He wanted to see this project through to it’s completion, and I, like him, was constantly being derailed by the antics of the people around him. It would be nice to see more of these antics tie back to Felix desperately trying to finish this project since it is so important to him. It was easy for the group of friends to take center stage and overshadow Felix’s ultimate objective in these short episodes.

This web show that Felix wants to bring to life means a lot to him and it is a driving force for him when he is faced with adversity. There are scenes of Felix working on his project, but it would be more convincing to viewers to see more of the process. It is easy to feel quite a bit of sympathy for Felix as it seems he is the only one that is fully invested in making his dreams come true. It was clear his friends, his girlfriend Beth (played by Audrey DelPrete) and his parents (played by Elaine Pelino and Richard Campopiano Sr.) all had a totally different idea of how he should spend his free time.

Beth could have used a little more development. There were moments of confusion at her relationship with Felix. When we meet her in the first episode, she speaks of her support of Felix’s dreams with his parents. She says that he has a good head on his shoulders and that he was raised right. She also mentions that she believes he will do really well.

The next time we see Beth is in the second episode. Felix is pitching the idea of his web show to his friends and Beth. Beth is immediately disapproving of this idea. She groans to Felix about starting another project and how she thought he was getting a job. This was a little odd since it seemed such a sudden change from her supportive behavior in the previous episode. It is obvious in later episodes she is meant to be the high maintenance girlfriend.

The production as a whole was packaged appropriately as a comedy. The different atmospheres created through the cinematography such as the cool tones of Felix’s kitchen, the warm tones of the other rooms of house and the other locations were a nice asset to the show. It was aesthetically pleasing. There were moments that were visually jarring through effects which helped me connect with Felix and the giant amounts of stress going on with him internally.

The writing was really witty, fast paced and occasionally a little random. However, it sometimes felt unnatural for some of the characters. For example, in the third episode, we meet a character named Quigley. Some of his beginning dialogue when talking with Felix seemed out of place, but it felt like an intentional choice for the comedic style of the show. We also never see him again after his one episode and there is no resolution as to what happened with that character. Perhaps he’ll pop up in a later season?

Another instance of unnatural dialogue was when Beth and Felix are on their date. The waiter approaches and an unusual conversation ensues about elk, bagging your own meat and owning your own guns. If this is a reference to something, some people may not understand it. Personally, I’d be a little creeped out with an awkward chuckle and would slowly back away before running around the corner. The conversation with the waiter seemed to come out of left field. The joke may be lost on other viewers that watch the show.

Most of the costume pieces used in this show were appropriate. There was a frequent use of bright colors for some of the characters and even a bright plaid pattern for Felix. It really worked to bring across the upbeat, comedic feel of the show. At one point, the EMT and the police officer were wearing the same uniform. The only difference for the police officer was that there was a badge added. This was actually quite comical – gotta love having no budget.

The small bit of combat featured in this show was well-executed. Believable combat is sometimes difficult to achieve. In film, we’re used to the over the top sound effects used when someone is punched or kicked. In episode five, Felix gets frustrated with Pewter for not recording a take and punches him in the face. The way the punch was executed was a pleasant surprise for me. It was so believable that I found myself going back to watch the punch several times like “How’d they do this?!”

The editing was okay. The transitions were smooth and seemed suitable for this type of show. When a transition would a occur, sound would accompany it. Sometimes that would be distracting to a viewer, but it added to the show.

There were a couple of opportunities where editing could have solved some problems. One example would be where Beth and Felix go on a date. She excuses herself to the bathroom and it takes her about seven seconds to return to the table. There could have been more of an indication that some time had passed before she returned or viewers could have be taken into another scene. It’s also a possibility that she might even be able to pee that quick. Beth seemed to change drastically in this scene too. She has an argument with Felix, but after a short moment, things seem to be okay between them. It felt rushed. Again, there’s some confusion toward their relationship. We know Beth is high maintenance, but is she supposed to be the kind that are just a little bit crazy? Then again, aren’t most relationships complicated? We all then let out a collective sigh with a “right?!”

There were some issues with sound, but for the most part, it was done well. The only reason I picked up on it was that the audio file of lesser quality was dubbed in the same scene as good audio. The lesser quality audio sounded distant and not as clear. It just sounded off for a few seconds. This only occurred between Beth and Felix when they hug in the first episode and between Lenny and Felix standing outside a car in a later episode. Each episode had it’s own type of sound or music selection in the credits which helped establish the mood at the end of the episode. It was effective. When I started hearing opera music among others, I let out a giggle with a loud snort.

I think a lot of filmmakers can sympathize with Felix when it comes to the world of projects, deadlines and the journey through production. The comedic antics in this show will be entertaining to viewers, but I’d like to see more of a solid foundation set for it’s characters and plot. When the main character doesn’t seem to care too much about achieving his overall goal, the audience follows suit. We want this passionate filmmaker to realize his dream. A bunch of laughs along the way makes for a more fulfilling journey.

OFFICIAL SITE: http://www.aguygoingcrazy.com

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/aguygoingcrazy

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/aguygoingcrazy

YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6uGzpJy85LQzAy-7gaEkPZqvxwXqwHIZ