Hey gang, Valkor here. The next film on deck kind of takes me
back to my TOV beginnings, when I had first jumped into indie
films. It was definitely new territory and at that time I wasn’t
sure how far I’d take it. Well, I have to say we took it all the
way and then some reviewing the good, the bad, and the ugly sides
of indie films. So where does this next film, “A Free Bird” fit
into all of this? You’re gonna have to read on to find out. Oh
and expect a few spoilers along the way.
“A Free Bird” centers on a guy named JT (Russell Durham Comegys), who has just lost his job eating the eggs from the salad bar of the steakhouse where he was working. And it doesn’t get any better from there as his car breaks down, and his girlfriend Tammy (Karen-Eileen Gordon) is giving him a hard time not just from losing his job, but also for his cheating ways with his coworker Ladonna (Marla Malcolm). With no money, no girlfriend, no skills and no prospects, what is JT going to do? Enter ex-con and friend Jimmy Bobo (George Faughnan), who gives JT an offer he can’t refuse. Jimmy devises a plan to rob the steakhouse, not for the money but for the steaks! That way they can flip the steaks on the cheap and make off like bandits with a nice sum of cash. What could possibly go wrong?
On the first day as the two stake out the place, JT finds out that Ladonna is cheating him with his former manager. When they return with two more guys to help, they discover the restaurant is closed. That's because they chose to rob the place on a Sunday when it's closed. The next night they sort of get things right, and after a few hiccups, the group makes off with the meat. Only they forget to freeze it so thaws while it sits in a hot car. When they finally try to sell the meat, the way Jimmy words it, he makes it sound like the group is looking for gay sex. But it all comes to a close when a local hunter sees a bunch of dogs sniffing around their car where the meat is hidden, plus he hears shooting, so of course he calls the police. And that’s when the shit hits the fan… sort of. Thankfully Tammy steps in, and sort of saves JT from a hefty stint in prison.
“A Free Bird” kind of reminds me of “Dumb Criminals” or rather how I would I have liked “Dumb Criminals” to be. Don’t get me wrong, I still want to see more “real life” antics of Rabbit and his pals, but it'd be great if it played out just as smooth as “A Free Bird”.
The Good:
I have to say, I really enjoyed “A Free Bird”; it’s not laugh-out-loud, bust a gut style funny, but it's a comedy that's a bit mellower, easy to get it into and just a fun to watch. The plot and the writing are the film’s strongest points and at first, I didn’t get the repetition of people saying “JT, what are you going to do?”. However, by the end of the film, it all made sense. The jokes are spread out nicely, with much of it being in the dialogue. However, there are plenty of physical jokes that’ll get you chuckling, with none of it being over the top. The acting is solid and kudos to Russell Durham Comegys as “JT”, who is something like Matthew McConaughey mixed in with Boomhauer from “King of the Hill”. I also have to give it up to George Faughnan as well, who is almost a show stealer as the cool yet conniving Jimmy Bobo. Lastly, cuteness explodes from Karen-Eileen Gordon when she enters. But I think it’s that raspy voice that does it to me everytime! In the end, if you’re looking for some southern chuckles, with a side of silly, then definitely give “A Free Bird” a try.
The Bad:
It’s nothing serious, but it does drag midway.
The Ugly:
N/A
“A Free Bird” is available now on digital media such as Hulu, Amazon Instant, and others. And if you’re looking for something mellow yet funny, then this is definitely the way to go. I highly recommend it. And out of TOV 5 stars, I’m giving “A Free Bird” 4.5.
