Robert Mutt (Joshua Pearce) is a loser. He can’t walk down the street of his small town without being called a douchebag, and so poor Mutt, in his too-tight plaid trousers, throws himself off a bridge. After a stint in the mental hospital, he’s kicked out, determined to become “a real somebody.” It’s doubtful that this crude, occasionally funny black comedy by Pearce (who co-wrote the script) and director Simon Ennis will achieve the Canadian cult status of Fubar, but Mutt has a sweet, caring core that’s more Harry Dunne (Jeff Daniels in Dumb and Dumber) than the narcissistic jerk Napoleon Dynamite. Clark Johnson, Liane Balaban and Michael Madsen appear, and air hockey proves it’s a sport worthy of the screen.
This article appears in May 27 – Jun 2, 2010.
