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★★★
Directed by: Yavor Petkov
Written by: Yavor Petkov
Starring: Dimo Alexiev, Kate Nichols, James Babson, Emil Kamenov, Borislav Markovski
A film crew follows an eccentric businessman around, documenting his lifestyle and activities.
This is the directorial debut of Petkov and the filming took place in and around Kyustendil and Sofia, Bulgaria. The languages consist of English and Bulgarian, with most of the dialogue spoken in Bulgarian.
A British film crew, consisting of Susan (Nichols), Jamie (Babson) and the cameraman are in Bulgaria, with the intention of making a documentary about money-laundering and a wealthy entrepreneur named Danny (Alexiev) has agreed to let them film him, as he reveals his social and working life to them. Danny, who is believed to be a criminal, is more interested in having a good time and he takes the crew on an outrageous journey around his hometown, involving appalling situations and unacceptable behavior. As time passes, the crew become more and more familiar with Danny's extreme personality.
This mockumentary is not for the easily-offended, as it contains intercourse, scenes of a sexual nature, offensive behavior and frequent explicit language.
As the story is about a film crew following Danny around, he is the center of the movie and he certainly grabs the viewer's attention and perhaps not in ways that most people would approve. Danny is certainly a jaw-dropping individual and he will most likely be hard to forget. When he is first shown, he is urinating on a door, making it clear that this is no ordinary person. Saying that he is insane might not be an exaggeration. He constantly talks about whatever is on his mind, he uses profanity, he behaves in childish ways, he is constantly smiling and generally almost always seems to be in a good mood. He shouts and laughs a great deal and acts aggressively, kicking things around and assaulting people. He does not seem to take anything seriously and even devours a kebab like a child, making a mess, while he is having a meeting with a banker and a lawyer. Although he appears to enjoy people's company, at the same time he is quite disrespectful and insulting and at one point his behavior is so bad that one of the filmmakers quits. He does not regret his actions and thinks very highly of himself, believing that he is untouchable and will let no one bring him down.
Alexiev delivers a rather unforgettable, over-the-top performance as Danny, a near-crazy man and he is always full of energy. He is clearly having a lot of fun with his character.
As the film is shot like a documentary and focuses on an unusual individual doing abhorrent stuff, it will probably make the audience think of Borat or Bruno. Danny often looks into the camera and speaks and Petkov creates some wonderful shots that capture the beauty of the surrounding landscapes.
This mockumentary may not be for everyone and it is overlong. But to those who appreciate dark humor, it provides an enjoyable experience and contains an unforgettable character in Danny.
Trailer for Danny. Legend. God. :
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