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First, the Recap:
The pursuit of happiness, acceptance, success, and love. These all seem to be the bedrocks of life for all of us ultimately. We wish to gain the associated gratification and sense of purpose the aforementioned elements entail through hard work, dedication, and application of the skills we possess. However, if the freedoms and pleasures of said concepts gets summarily taken away, should it not be our primary goal to reacquire them, no matter the odds? For Pocket (Sarah Sypniewski), life as a clown has been her utmost place of joy. But when recent circumstances have put her at odds with the enigmatic High Council of Clowns, she decides it’s time to take back what’s hers, dragging her fellow clown partner Jiggles (Will Todisco) into the fray while also attempting to hunt down new love with a handsome penpal she’s never met, “Hardcore” (Kevin Nelson)–until now. What could possibly go wrong?
Next, my Mind:
Honestly, folks, do your absolute best to table or shove back into the closet of the mind any coulrophobia you might have experienced or are inclined to confront when it comes to those painted-faced, quite eccentrically dressed, highly offbeat, quirkily-behaving rascals you’ve all known since childhood (OK, FINE…with the EXCEPTION of Pennywise, as HE is just outright terrifying!) and latch onto this playfully innocuous, totally comical, sometimes irreverent slice of charming silliness from writer/director/producer Alan Wood, producer/editor Meleta McHarlin, co-producers Anthony D. Stewart, Conor Shanahan, Hiten Radia, Kim Rodgers, Kate Rouker, and Poppy along with executive producers Sarah Sypniewski and Erin Kay Smith. Why might you ask? Because, at least for this critic, the film is precisely the kind of indie cinema FUN we NEED in order to just sit back, completely relax, and be thoroughly entertained via a tale of utterly innocent delight, intentionally overblown absurdity, and real life lessons well worth being reminded of.
Through its narrative that sees a career clown trying to win her way back into the good graces of a supposedly “all-seeing, all powerful” clown High Council and the subsequent insanity that ensues which soon engulfs her best friend as well as a VERY involuntarily uninformed and hilariously unwitting potential new beau she’s FAR more than enamored with upon meeting him finally, the effort’s pacing is well-conceived and intelligently executed to allow the laughs to keep flowing effectively through equally well-written and executed placement/timing, keeping the viewer’s attention while delivering that “just how IS this wackiness all going to play out” ambiance throughout. The humor itself is a healthy mix of physical/slapstick comedy paired with moments of admittedly cruder tangents, but the blend is highly balanced so that the overall atmosphere remains primarily modest and plain goofy, which is certainly more the style this critic prefers personally.
As one would expect, there are plenty of jokingly poked at facets of clowning that are targets of the wittiness on display, from oversized shoes to what objects can magically appear in seemingly endless supply from a clown’s clothing, honking clown noses, eyeball glasses, and assorted magic tricks among other little gems. But then, as I always tend to find myself having to mention about indie film, there are genuine and heartfelt explorations of friendship, the yearning for affection, unrequited feelings, the importance of honesty, trying new things, wanting to bring cheer to others, persevering through adversity, exposing the proverbial masks we wear, striving to do what you truly desire, and the importance of holding on tightly to those things and people that have special significance to us. Additionally, to say the least given the thematic gists and general direction of things, the film’s third act certainly takes a unexpected turn that is borderline jarring, yet still manages to elicit laughs despite the brief extreme moments we witness.
But, it all ends up fitting together nicely and creates a finale that is just as whimsically smart and cute as the rest of the film, leaving us with an undeniable, purposefully feel-good vibe. To say Sypniewski chews up scenery during every moment she’s on screen would be an understatement and with the sheer degrees of wholehearted joviality and more than evident excitement and bravado she brings forth from start to finish, it infuses this film with hysterically vibrant life through her lead role as Pocket, an infectiously adorable but disgraced clown looking for personal redemption–and perhaps a little desperately pined for TLC while she’s at it. In making a decision to take on the only gig she can currently engage in given her status with the Clown High Council, her choice pulls a best friend and a hapless new “lover” into her eccentric, madcap adventure that will end up having impacts, for good or ill, on all of them by the end.
It’s the obvious relishing of being able to just be ZANY and amusingly over-the-top that makes Sypniewski’s performance so unreservedly riotous and this critic DARES you NOT to fall in love with her character. Now, this is by no means takes away from Tosdisco showcasing his own level of comic timing thanks to his turn as Pocket’s best friend and fellow clown Jiggles, who not only has a deeply protective and by-the-clown-book demeanor with her and the actions she’s considering, but JUST might also hold an unreciprocated candle for his endearingly lovable (even if a LITTLE nutty) bestie. As he refuses to allow her to embark on her quest alone, watching as he gets swallowed up by her antics while still attempting to be the voice of (sometimes jealous) reason likewise causes you to empathize with Jiggles and Todisco clearly loved, like Sypniewski, being able to be kooky yet often in a more “serious” deadpan manner that only makes the humor of his character’s plight even more engaging.
Then there is Nelson who more than has his opportunities to ham it up but in that perfectly controlled sidesplitting “OMG what and WHO HAVE I ended up involved with??!!” delivery that makes his performance SUCH a pleasure to take in through his role as “Hardcore”, a now-former inmate whose penpal-based correspondence with Pocket has finally lead to them meeting for the first time–much to his growing dismay–as every possible new relationship element is thrown at (or gleefully forced upon!) him with overt vigor and enthusiasm by her while he also must ascertain and ponder the insanity of the clowning world and the “mission” she is on. But, is there also a chance that “Hardcore” may be someone keeping secrets himself? It all stands to be revealed, and Nelson just wonderfully utilizes facial expressions and body language to illustrate his character’s growing dilemma, garnering plenty of guffaws in how deftly he makes uncomfortable or baffling situations TRULY look as such.
Supporting roles are aplenty as with many ensemble efforts, and the performances and appearances, small or large, are all succinct, relevant, and mirthfully well-played by Andrew R. Gerde and Iana Neville as Bob & Betty, a local couple who get some unanticipated social media fodder at the expense of our intrepid clown duo, Erin Kay Smith as arguably one of the more creepy servers you’d ever want to run into at a bar, Alexandra Almendarez as Imani, the bartender at said bar and sounding board for longsuffering Jiggles, Micah Bijon and Kelsey McKinsey as Kenley & Vanessa, the couple who hired Pocket for a gig and end up getting QUITE a bit more than they bargained for, Joseph Miller as Mace, a cellmate of “Hardcore”‘s, Eric Smith as Mr. Pufflebums, the “mysterious” head of the Clown High Council, and Genevieve Kasper as his Admin Assistant.
Additional appearances are made in fine form by Clare Beth McConnell, Soledad Daisy Siders, Charllie Zander, Alice California Siders, Jayda Long, Kaiden Kaufmann, Jordan Kaufmann, Addisyn Thomas, Alyssa Thomas, Kelly Grandmaison, and Garrett Smith. So, in total, “Clown Car: A Love Story” is indie comedy merriment at its most foundational, wholly entertaining magnitude, allowing for both chuckles and belly-laughs while still ushering forth pertinent and necessary lessons in love and loyalty, the chasing of ones passions, and most importantly, the simple, unequivocal fact that in this current age of chaos, we DO just need to find a reason to SMILE.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
