Movie Review: “The Importance of Being Russell” (2006)

Director: Sean Plemmons
Writer: Jeff Hassen, Sean Plemmons, John Pickle, and James Ross
Genre: Comedy/Independent

Story

Russell is a simple redneck who is constantly working on inventions. His wife Sissy is buying things off of the TV before Russell is able to get his invention noticed. But Russell has finally invented something that not even the Cranium Concepts on the TV can create. The only problem is that the part he needs to complete the invention is in the Big City and he and his friends are more than a little out of place in the Big City.

Everything Else

The Importance of Being Russell is an interesting comedy directed well with humor and special effects to go along with it. Although it is obvious independent filmmakers made this movie, some of the special effects were quite impressive. The humor may not have been spot on for me most of the time, but there are plenty of true to life jokes about rednecks.

The acting in the film is not overly great, but John Pickle was great as Russell. There are plenty of scenes showing off his talent of being a consistently ridiculous redneck. The Importance of Being Russell starts off a little on the slow side, but picked up about half way through as Russell and his friends set out for the Big City. The special effects were impressive for the surely next to nothing budget and the story was wacky enough to make a complete redneck journey from the sticks to the Big City.

The Real Deal

The Importance of Being Russell certainly has room for improvement, but as a comedy that was able to make me laugh out loud on more than one occasion I have to give it credit. The acting is just quirky enough to fit in with the crazy redneck antics and the characters are able to keep you entertained even if the humor doesn’t strike you just right. I would have liked the movie to have less language, as it often seems that filmmakers think foul language is a way to make the viewers take the movie more seriously. The truth is that the language almost makes the movie seem more insecure with itself and therefore opportunities for witty thoughtful dialog are replaced by the ‘f’ word. Aside from that it was a fun ride and I would love to see the same movie made with a larger budget because it has so much potential and the filmmakers have a real talent.

Dave’s Score: 6/10

Written by Dave of Dave’s Movie Reviews