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★★★★
Directed by: #KevinIgnatius
Written by: #NickPsinakis #KevinIgnatius
Starring: #NickPsinakis #DarrylGudmundson #AnneAkhila
Indie Film Review by #ChrisBuick
Sean Reilly, a wannabe actor in his early 30s, has made the big move to LA from New York. However, in a tale as old as time itself, things haven’t exactly panned out the way he had hoped despite his best efforts. On top of that, his girlfriend is fed up with him for not having a real job, his boss at the restaurant where he waits tables is a dick and his crazy roommate is a complete nightmare.
But life’s tough luck is savagely underlined when his best friend, whose dedication to becoming an actor is incredibly passive, lands a role on a big new TV show. From there on, Sean’s life really starts to spiral as he is unable to control the big green monster inside of him.
It might be a premise that’s been seen in film countless times before, with the astronomical chances of making it in Hollywood being very much on record, but having to watch it happen for someone else allows the sense of a fresh perspective. The writing and the dialogue feel completely natural, in what seems to be a brilliant combination of clever writing and inspired improv. The film ebbs and flows through all the emotions; pity, joy, sadness and hope, but there is always a rich vein of humour even around the melancholy. There are one or two jokes that don’t land but they are so infrequent that even if you do notice they’re easy to forgive.
And as good as the writing is, it’s all brought together by a really strong cast, all the way down to the well-rounded bit players, who manage to make an impact even with only a couple of minutes screen time. And as the lead role, Psinakis successfully carries the whole film on his shoulders. We go through it all with Sean as he keeps trying to pick himself up every time life seems to push him back down, and for the entirety of the ninety-minute runtime, we root for him even at his absolute worst.
My Best Friend’s Famous is an endearing story about appreciating what you have and who you are, even when life seems just want to punch you in the face at every turn. With some great acting and impressive filmmaking, this is a well put together indie film and Psinakis and Igantius have certainly delivered on something that is clearly a passion project for the two of them and should be proud.
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