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First, the Recap:
Getting bad news is, quite simply, never easy. You find yourself in a totally shifted state of mind. This seems especially true when said unpleasant disclosure signals your life will soon be over, prematurely at that, thanks to an evil illness. Suddenly, everything you’ve had planned, all the dreams, desires, hopes you’ve hung onto are ripped away in a moment of baffling clarity. Lattie (Kevin Chenault), a regular guy of regular ways and means, finds this out first hand from his doctor (Eric Huskisson) and feels his world come apart. Handling the announcement as most seem to do, Lattie begins to assess his life while desperately attempting to keep his fate as low-key as possible, telling only his mother (Paula Von) and sister (Audrey Hillyer).
With nothing being just “routine” about existence anymore, however, Lattie’s strains to maintain any sense of reality, much less smooth relationships with his parent or sibling, unwind even as a bizarre, random circumstance enters the picture that puts him in the crosshairs of two unknown assailants. Still making every attempt to put his affairs in order, though, more and more situations arise thanks to family members trying to do what they think is best for him that continue to complicate matters, much to Lattie’s frustration and, sometimes, indifference. But, as everything begins to come to a head, Lattie makes particular decisions that will not only affect his legacy and give his life meaning, but will also impact another, younger life in the process.
Next, my Mind:
Lead actor/writer/director Chenault’s 66-minute indie effort could most effectively be described as a quirky, slow-burning, character-driven dark comedy with a deeper message about the human condition than one might initially give credence to. It’s a narrative that requires a viewer to very much invest in staying with things long enough in order for the final payoff to be presented, and as peculiar and unconventional the execution of it is, there’s a resonance to it that somehow ends up making sense. The elements played for comedy are most certainly of a heavier, edgier nature, which is totally apropos and still chuckle-worthy at times, but make no mistake, this isn’t a picnic tonally. It’s a melancholy journey into the world of a man whose life is falling to pieces and his struggle to make something worthwhile out of what time he has left, even if the roads to accomplish this weren’t exactly on his agenda.
Given the film’s moody atmosphere, it only promotes Chenault’s performance as Lattie to follow suit, providing a character just as mournful, downcast, and gloomy as the occurrences by which Lattie’s state of being are shaped by. Purposely understated, plus managing to infuse Lattie with some iota of hopefulness and drive towards achieving one act ending in a positive outcome, Chenault very much embraces the character’s despondent demeanor with great effectiveness and believability. Likewise, the supporting turns around him from Hillyer, Von, and many other satellite characters only serve to illustrate the fact that this guy’s aims to make things go right while being pulled in so many different directions by so many different people and conditions is one amazingly monumental task. Again, there’s just this overall feel like we’re actually watching a real-life someone battle through the ramifications of what started it all in the first place.
Honestly, “Lattie” won’t be for everyone, and even this reviewer had moments while watching it that called into question whether making it through to its conclusion would occur. But, as independent film is often consistently adept at doing, the passion and purpose behind even these more dysfunctional characters and stories will manage to keep you engrossed and just curious enough to absolutely have to know how it all ends. Perhaps, even in little ways, it’s because we might catch even just a little of ourselves in what we’re seeing.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
