The Chumscrubber DVD Review:

Every so often a film comes along which demands attention. It doesn’t need to be a perfect film, but there is something about it which we connect to so deeply that there is an innate need to share it and defend it, because loving it has more to do with what it says about us rather than what the film was meant to be. It suddenly has a life of its own in the way others can relate to it. This is what truly makes a cult film. Just when I had forgotten what a great feeling that was I found myself surprised by a film made with absolute precision despite the fact that I had never heard of the writer or director. Immediately following seeing the film before its theatrical release, I told everyone I knew to see it. The film was released in a few theaters, but when it didn’t do as well as planned it was never released in any theaters in my area, which is Los Angeles. So, now that it is available to be seen by many people for the first time, I will have to start recommending it again.

The Chumscrubber is a pop icon which appears throughout the film in video games, comics, and other assorted media. He is a headless man who is alone in a world of zombies which he must defeat, if only out of boredom. This theme is carried through the film as Dean Stiffle (Jamie Bell) makes his way through the wasteland of his life; suburbia. When Troy, Dean’s only friend and the high school’s drug supplier, hangs himself in his bedroom one morning, many things in the community begin to change. Although the death of Troy may not have affected many students emotionally, they suddenly find the thought of going through life without the pills to be unbearable. Three of Dean’s classmates and tormentors, Billy (Justin Chatwin), Crystal (Camilla Belle), and Lee (Lou Taylor Pucci), decide to kidnap Dean’s younger brother in order to blackmail Dean into retrieving the remaining stash from Troy’s bedroom.

Dean decides to play along even though he knows that they have kidnapped the wrong child, and the son of interior decorator, Terri, who is so busy planning her upcoming wedding to the town mayor, Michael Ebbs (Ralph Fiennes), that she has not realized her son is missing. Meanwhile Troy’s devastated mother is planning a memorial service which is to take place on the same day as the important wedding, causing social conflict throughout the small town.

Although the teenagers and the adults live in each other’s lives, they are in completely different worlds from each other. The line is not clear and often times it seems as though they would have a great deal to learn from each other, but the communication is a hindering factor, as seen by the way Dean’s father, Dr. Bill Stiffle, quickly advises that Dean take antidepressants after Troy’s death. What he doesn’t realize is that he has just supplied his son with a legal stash of a drug he has been addicted to for some time already.

Blending comedy with drama, The Chumscrubber is filled with the little nuances life throws at us at the most inopportune times, leaving us unsure whether to cry or laugh. Mostly The Chumscrubber will make you think, and that itself becomes the journey of the film. Through all of the different storylines, one thing remains constant, and that is a journey. Every character is on a journey of discovery, some ending more unpleasant than others as is seen in the surreal violent climax of the film which is certain to make some cringe while others laugh out loud.

Zac Stanford’s impressive script is so amazingly well written that even the most cliché moments seem sincere and honest. It doesn’t hurt that The Chumscrubber has one of the most dedicated and talented ensemble casts I have seen in years. Jamie Bell may now be known only as the boy from Billy Elliot, but I am certain he will soon be known as much more. Bell shows such a natural and raw ability to say each line with ease, it seems as though he is not acting at all. There is no doubt in my mind that he will soon be receiving the attention he deserves once again, making his fantastic performance in Billy Elliot seem like child’s play. Another upcoming actor worth mentioning is Camilla Belle, who plays Crystal with such an easy magnetism I was shocked I could not recall seeing her in anything else.

When veterans Bonnie Curtis and Lawrence Bender took this project under their wings along with director Arie Posin they must have known what a wonderful film they had. This is the kind of film which does not accidentally happen, but is created out of hard work, love, and trust that the audience will be open to something different. What they may or may not realize is that there is an entire group of people waiting and hoping for something different. For these people, who I am one of, I can honestly say that The Chumscrubber was the first breath of fresh air all year long, and now it can finally be seen.

Even though the special features are not listed on the back cover of the DVD, there are definitely a few treats available. There are a number of deleted and extended scenes, some showing a different approach to telling the same story. There is an alternate beginning with voiceover by Rory Culkin and a number of extra scenes involving the drugs. There is also a making of featurette, which is well made, but lacks the passion of the film. The best of the features is the commentary track with director Arie Posin and writer Zac Stanford. These two bounce off each other fairly well, but there are a few too moments of silence considering there are two of them on the track. I found myself listening to the dialogue at times, because there were too many breaks in their comments.



Ryan Izay