Though the title of this review is somewhat facetious, there are a lot of elements in Heavy Times that suggest it actually is a kidnapping movie. The film follows 3 young men, awkward but functional in their own respects, who get taken on an extended joyride by a large, Bostonian, sociopathic man named Rick. As this joyride progresses, Mark, Hugh, and Dan quickly realize that Rick has no intentions of letting them go home that night, and chaos ensues.
Rick threads the line between hilarious and genuinely terrifying... Sometimes even coming across as sympathetic, in a psychotic sort of way. Though he is assuredly the driving force of Heavy Times once he appears on screen, there are other standout performances other than Rick. Of these includes Adam Lauver, who's portrayal of Mark, a worrisome yet inquisitive young man going through a spiritual/mental crisis, is nuanced and entertaining to examine.
Keaton Farmer must also be given commendation for his portrayal of Gunther, a character that plays counter-point to Rick later in the film. Gunther's brand of super-goth insanity is substantially different than that of Rick's insanity, but it is perhaps equally funny, and adds a wholly different flavor of comedy to the later scenes of the film.
Overall, Heavy Times is an inspired take on the "indie comedy" genre (however shabby that descriptor may be). It is intensely zany and crude, at times, but retains a sincere human element throughout, never allowing the almost larger than life Rick and Gunther to entirely rob the film of it's more subdued and authentic undertones.
Rick threads the line between hilarious and genuinely terrifying... Sometimes even coming across as sympathetic, in a psychotic sort of way. Though he is assuredly the driving force of Heavy Times once he appears on screen, there are other standout performances other than Rick. Of these includes Adam Lauver, who's portrayal of Mark, a worrisome yet inquisitive young man going through a spiritual/mental crisis, is nuanced and entertaining to examine.
Keaton Farmer must also be given commendation for his portrayal of Gunther, a character that plays counter-point to Rick later in the film. Gunther's brand of super-goth insanity is substantially different than that of Rick's insanity, but it is perhaps equally funny, and adds a wholly different flavor of comedy to the later scenes of the film.
Overall, Heavy Times is an inspired take on the "indie comedy" genre (however shabby that descriptor may be). It is intensely zany and crude, at times, but retains a sincere human element throughout, never allowing the almost larger than life Rick and Gunther to entirely rob the film of it's more subdued and authentic undertones.