Yeast Lords – The Bronco Years

Gentlemen Broncos – Jared Hess

Appearing out of nowhere, the latest Jared Hess creation appears in UK cinemas this week after finally getting the distribution deal. Does it deserve it? Does it deserve to be released in the cinemas to massive audiences, audiences who loved Napoleon Dynamite and semi-enjoyed Nacho Libre? The answer is sorta yes. Napoleon Dynamite is a fantastic film, one that I’m sure everyone you know loves and probably quotes on a regular bases. Seriously, it’s that good. Nacho Libre, a hit and miss with certain people, of course people hate Jack Black for no reason, so most of the hatred comes from people really disliking him, but overall, it’s a decent film. I like it. But it’s no Napoleon Dynamite. Now with Gentlemen Broncos, a similar style and technical piece, crafted using the Hess model, strange characters, doing mundane things in a slightly weird manner. The lead characters are outcasts, regular, normal people. Not action heroes or loveable romantics, just regular people, and that’s the connection the audience get with these people. They are them. But unfortunately, after seeing the same film three times, but with just different names and different actors, it feels tired. The “trying too hard to impress” badge has been waivered here because it’s a decent film, but just feels like it’s trying too much to be a part of the that group. Similar to Wes Anderson, but with his films, they grow, they become something different and better. Ever Wes Anderson fan has a favourite of the collection, different emotional feelings for each one. Hess fans just dig Napoleon.

The story follows Benjamin, who is a science fiction writer, who writes a massive novel about a yeast lord, who is played, by the saving grace of this film, Sam Rockwell, who acts out scenes from the book. And anyway, his idea gets stolen by two parties, one with a girl who Ben likes and they want to turn into a film, which turns out to be shit and the other, a well known writer, played by Jermaine Clement, as seen in Flight of the Conchords, who turns it into a strangely gay science fiction piece. As mentioned before the scenes with Rockwell acting out the novel are the best parts, both the straight version and the overly camp version. Clement i wished would have stolen the show. Any film with him in it, makes it ten times better in my eyes, but to find out that it doesn’t go that well for him, it’s not great. I just hope his film career isn’t ruined by this film! Eagle vs. Shark is his finest hour!

But overall the film is okay, it’s watchable, but it will make you question Hess and his film legacy, will he be remembered for being a one hit wonder or leave a stamp of great films? I hope it’s the later.

5/10

Simon Childs