Suburban Pimp

Good comedies are those that make you frequently throughout, great comedies are those that have you, and those around you, dying of raucous laughter constantly throughout the entire film. ‘Suburban Pimp’ is neither of those, instead a comedy with zero laughs, that tries too hard to match the pulpy style of Quentin Tarantino or Guy Ritchie, instead coming across as a cheap knock off of those directors esteemed works.

Indeed, the story of a pimp who conducts his shady and illegal business predominantly in the suburbs is exactly the kind of tale you could imagine being made into a masterpiece by the likes of Tarantino, matching the style that has made him into one of the most successful modern day auteurs. However, writer-director of ‘Suburban Pimp’ Vilan Trub is no Tarantino, far from it, and he lacks any of the visual style, or sharp witty dialogue that is necessary to elevate such a pulpy story reminiscent of the B-movies of the 1970s.

‘Suburban Pimp’ follows the titular pimp, who, in one of the most uninspired and utterly cringeworthy gags in the entire film, has adopted the moniker Dolce Gabbana as his pimp name, as he seeks to get back into the pimp business following his recent release from prison. Dolce Gabbana (it’s painful even writing the name out) is played by Gee Frey, who fails to appear even remotely pimp-like throughout the film. Frey is neither intimidating enough nor has a rough-edged charm needed to make himself a believable pimp, and though not helped by the script, his bland uninterested line delivery only exemplifies the lack of wit in this so-called comedy.

The pimp’s plan to get back into the business is scuppered by his first prostitute, a dimwitted homeless man who he names Curious George. Curious George’s lack of brains, combined with the fact he’s a middle-aged man with a far-receded hairline, make the pimp’s business extremely difficult to conduct, finding trouble immediately when dealing with their first client, played by Alexander Kollar. A series of misdemeanours and misunderstandings follow, each one less funny than the already unfunny previous one. George is played by Andrew Steiner, who, although he delivers his lines better that Frey, is also underserved by the script and the fact that he has next to no chemistry with Frey.

Writer-director Vilan Trub imbues the film with a distinct lack of wit through his screenplay, with not a single line rolling naturally out of the actors mouths or making you think. Instead it is filled with misjudged gags that only make your eyes roll and meandering fluff. Trub’s directing is no better, from the attempt to create a pulpy style with the intermittent drums over the opening credits, which then fades completely as the film lacks any sort of visual invention or style throughout, with a total lack of flair behind the camera.

‘Suburban Pimp’ is a story which, in better hands, could easily form the basis of a fun, engaging crime comedy, however, with a script as flat as it is, it falls well short of that mark.