PIC of the Week – Flower + Buffaloed
Article series by Ray Schillaci
This week a Zoey Deutch double header. The actress who was so infectiously funny and practically stole the movie Zombieland: Double Tap and was most memorable in the Netflix series as Infinity Jackson in The Politician has her talents put into high gear with the Artisan/Lionsgate release of Flower and Magnolia’s release of Buffaloed. Deutch has a rapid fire delivery, is easily likable in the most despicable situations and has what seems to be impetuous comic timing which makes her performances damn near electrifying.
Both indie films were done early in her career and, as mentioned, they display Deutch at her very best, and it just so happens she plays a hustler in both. In fact, Zoey’s Peg in Buffaloed, released in 2019, appears to be an extension of her Erica Vandross character in Flower, released in 2017. This could be attributed to Deutch herself since she was one of the producers on the later film.
Flower opens with what many might consider an uncomfortable seedy scenario: a troubled minor, Erica, trades oral sex for money. She and her friends are a makeshift vigilante group extorting pedophiles. Aside from striking back against these pedos, Erica does this to get enough money to bail her father out of prison.
Meanwhile, Erica is dealing with her ill feelings for her mother, her mother’s new husband, and the awkward situation of having a very troubled stepbrother, Luke, coming out of an institution to live with them. To make matters worse, Erica discovers that Luke is messed up because he was molested as a child. Yes, this all sounds more like heavy drama, but instead it is played out like a very dark comedy, especially when Erica unveils her plan to get revenge for her stepbrother against the alleged molester.
Comedian/actress Kathryn Hahn is the perfect foil as Erica’s long suffering mother. She’s not the perfect mom, but she knows it and I couldn’t help sympathizing with her at times. Adam Scott, best known for Parks and Recreation, is unsettling and confusing as the guy that may or may not be a child molester. We just don’t know wether to side with him or not, and we almost feel sorry when Erica starts her scheme against him. And, Joey Morgan as the distraught stepbrother is incredibly convincing. You feel his pain, but later cannot help but wonder if he’s just a misguided soul. Kudos out to the rest of the cast and crew including director Max Winkler and writers Alex McAulay, Matt Spicer and Winkler for creating a situation and characters that you can’t help but feel for all the while making us laugh and throwing in a few shocking moments as well.
Artisan/Lionsgate continues the trend of not giving small indies the chance to be seen on Blu. The DVD picture is clear and at times crisp. There are the occasional soft focus moments. This is probably the director’s choice. This is not a film that shouts out for a 1080p picture. But, at times, the look might have come across better during a few awkwardly staged moments. Where it could have really shined is when the girls are videotaping.
We do get a 5.1 Dolby Digital Sound that is good, but far from reference quality. We are given the option of subtitles in both English and Spanish, but never felt the need to use them which is a big plus. Otherwise, ambient sound is decent along with a pleasant soundtrack.
Unfortunately, all we’re given as far as bonus features is a commentary by director Winkler and Deutch. This is another film that cries out for a (pardon the pun) gag reel. One cannot help but wonder what Deutch might have improvised and what was not used. It also would have been nice to get the thoughts from the rest of the cast concerning the delicate balance between dark comedy and such incendiary material.
2019’s Buffaloed is practically the Erica Vandross character grown up. Peg is a young woman from an early age who decides to break the bonds of her low class upbringing and become an industrious wealthy entrepreneur who would go on to help her mother and brother through life. But, how she thinks she will get there ends up being a very unexpected journey for both her and her family once she enters the field of unscrupulous debt collecting.
Deutch is in overdrive on this one. Her rapid fire delivery, seething anger and drive are taken to new heights as she goes from one exploit to another as she schemes her way through life until she eventually strikes gold when she gets a debt collection call. Her wheels immediately start turning and she jumps at the chance to enter into a field that she knows she can excel at on one condition. She wagers a bet that she can beat all the other debt collectors of the company in one week providing her $50K debt is erased. The owner agrees.
No sooner does Peg succeed as one of the top earners, she soon discovers the misogynist ways of the company and its owner, Wizz. Knowing our Peg, she will not stand for it, and goes off on her own to challenge Wizz. She does this by finding people with incredible sales skills, but not the kind that sell products, but those who are strong in what they do best; a phone sex worker, a bible totin’ fanatic, a tough prison guard, etc. She teaches them her skills and they take on the debt collection kingpin she once worked for. The only problem, Wizz is a low life, an intimidating force that will stop at nothing to bring her down.
Buffaloed reminded of Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street only not as complicated. In one scene, Deutch actually breaks the fourth wall to better explain the ins and outs of debt collection in the most simplest terms. It’s funny and educational.
The film also rides the edge of drama and comedy like Flower with the only exception being some characters are not as real. Writer Brian Sacca has peppered the script with Damon Runyonesque characters, loud-mouthed, arrogant, and some being very cartoonish. But, they play well with the comical situation and the excellent timing provided by director Tanya Wexler and actress Zoey Deutch.
Buffaloed‘s Blu captures the grunginess of the rust belt (even though it was shot in Toronto) with a nice amount of detail: old warehouses, rundown homes, disheveled neighborhoods, seedy local bars. Most people seem to be near pasty white, but I think that goes with the territory. Dark scenes do not blend. Everything is easily seen.
The opening sequence is impressive with the DTS HD Master Audio, but that’s about it. Yep, that’s the extent of the showcase. Throughout the rest of the film, surround is used sparingly and most dialogue dominates the center speaker. Not that this is a bad thing. Why? Because this film relies on its quick wit and dialogue.
Sadly, Magnolia Pictures takes a step down from Artisan/Lionsgate by giving us a disc with no bonuses. How is that possible? I’m pretty sure that the Buffaloed budget was steeper than the $500K for Flower. You’d think they’d fork over a little seed money to give us a bit more insight into the antics behind da film.
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With all that being said, both films are well worth a view if only for Deutch’s remarkable comic performances. The woman is a force of nature plowing through scene after scene and taking no prisoners. She’ll have you laugh all the while cheering her on for her brilliant moxie.
*Lowest Price – Flower (DVD) – $14.76 – Walmart
Buffaloed (Blu) – $16.99 – Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart
*Both films are also available for Hulu subscribers.
Visit Ray’s blog at themonsterinmyhead.com
