Napoleon Dynamite (2004) Dir: Jared Hess
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Going into this, I had only heard good things about this independent comedy, so I had pretty lofty expectations. This can often be to the film's detriment, but in this case, I'd say the film matched what I had hoped for. Director Jared Hess curates a hilarious, well written and remarkably relaxed story that makes a whole lot out of so little.
Jon Heder is absolutely hilarious in his leading role. He nails his character's awkward persona, and provides some of the film's biggest laughs with his excellent delivery.
Another brilliantly funny performance comes from the main supporting character, played by Aaron Ruell. His equally awkward acting, combined with some cleverly subtle dry humour, creates a superbly entertaining character.
Jon Gries provides a character who is entertaining in an entirely different way. He is amazingly flamboyant and eccentric, which juxtaposes the aforementioned performances really nicely to create some very enjoyable character interactions.
Efren Ramirez is another of the supporting cast who uses his role to produce a delightful performance. His subtle delivery makes each of his scenes all the more entertaining, particularly his dry delivery of dialogue, which lands very well at times.
Tina Majorino also has a supporting role here, and while I wasn't sure of her at first, she quickly grew on me and I ended up thoroughly enjoying her character and performance.
Finally, I'll give mentions to Haylie Duff, Shondrella Avery and Sandy Martin, all of whom provide plenty of comedy in their own right.
Overall, this is a wonderfully strange and funny film that uses its peculiar characters to shape a simple yet functional narrative that has heart and humour in spades. This is the perfect movie to sit down and watch when you're not feeling so good about life, or just need a general pick-me-up for the evening.
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