4 Apr 2012

The Crusader ★★★★☆



Review of 'The Crusader' which can be found here at Future Shorts.

Length: 07:06
Written & directed by Gerard Monaco
Genre: Mockumentary
Date: 2007
Rating: ★★★

Logline: A guy on the dole tries to sue Warner Bros. for gross misrepresentation.

This is a cracking mock doc about a deluded fella who believes himself to be Batman and in between fighting crime and collecting his giro, he plans to pursue Warner Bros and make them cough up for stealing the rights to his life.

It contains all the expected elements of a documentary, the female filmmaker voice over, standard questions are asked, the lonely subject makes a cup of tea etc, so it does a good job of holding the pretence. True to reality TV form, there is the confrontation with the main character, a tussle with the camera crew and the only too often reaction of refusing to continue with the documentary. Almost cliche but works very well with the character in hand.

Neil Carter plays Lee Philips, the hero in question, and is naturalistic, funny and gives a real character performance, reminding me of a young Timothy Spall. Philips regurgitation of classic Batman lines in his northern accent is a treat and his simpleminded persona is complemented nicely with Victoria Perry as the intelligent investigator.

I like that it is filmed in black and white which was a good choice as this helps the Batman mask to stand out all the more. It also contributes to the clean look of the film as well as help retain a certain timelessness which colour can sometimes eradicate. There is a mix of shots, both internal and external, all of which are well lighten and composed. It feels simplistic and straightforward, which is certainly not an insult.

Just as you think the film is about to end, you get a little vignette of Philips giving a self promoting speech which is more cinematically constructed. It could almost be a trailer for the film but doesn't feel out of place here. The pace is steady but there is still room for trimming if so desired. You know I prefer faster cuts. Overall, the story suits the genre very well in this exploration of an oddball character and is enjoyable and funny to watch.

Best Bit: Batman wiv a fag hangin' awt his mawf.

Worst Bit: Pace is a bit slow.

Final thought: Dunna dunna dunna dunna BATMAN!

Read a condensed review of this film on Twitter here.

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