Matt's Chance (2013) Reviews

• This movie deserves an honest review...

  rooprect2014-08-26

  You may have noticed out of 26 reviewers for "Matt's Chance", nobody has reviewed more than 1 movie on IMDb. Not that this necessarily makes their opinions less valid (I mean hey, even Tibetan monks who are only allowed to watch 1 movie in their entire life have the right to post on IMDb?) But if you're like me, you might smell some review padding at work. Well rest assured I'm a real person, not involved with this production in any way, not dating any of the cast or crew, with nothing better to do with my life than review some 500+ movies on IMDb, so you can trust that this review is legit. "Matt's Chance" is a quirky, dark comedy which which is 1/4 love story, 1/4 revenge story, 1/4 crime story, 1/4 fantasy, and 100% original. It begins mundanely enough: a loser is in a bar whining to his buddy about some chick, and the film proceeds in flashback form as he tells his bud the story. From there it picks up speed, it ropes us in with foreshadowing of some epic disaster to come, and the vibe becomes increasingly surreal, building momentum and suspension of disbelief until the astonishing ending which requires your disbelief to be not only suspended but beaten senseless like a piñata. Some people may hate it for that very reason, but if you like movies that run you over like a garbage truck, challenging you to grasp unconventional situations and even more unconventional morality, then this is for you. Without ruining anything, I'll say it's an adventure of one man embarking on a journey of revenge. Not quite sure of how to proceed, he encounters bizarre characters along the way (Lee Majors as the silent barber, Gary Busey as the hilariously cynical pawn shop owner, Margot Kidder as a sexagenarian stripper "he only keeps me around because I look enough like a man to get his rocks off" haha). These characters each appear for 1 scene and are seen no more, as if they're chapters out of an Alice in Wonderland nightmare: a caterpillar, a mad hatter, a duchess. Other characters are more established but equally bizarre: his best friend the priest who raps on the toilet in his spare time, and a charmingly disturbed individual known as Gabor who reminded me very much of John Turturro's sleazy character in "The Big Lebowski" except this guy was much more likable. Plot aside, this is an odd morality tale for the 21st century. It definitely ain't your grandfather's morality tale. So be prepared for anything. The wacky twist at the end really makes you think hard. In that respect it reminded me of the disturbing dark comedy with Rainn Wilson & Ellen Page called "Super" which challenges us to see the moral difference between a superhero and psycho vigilante... if there is indeed a difference. Neither of these films is to be taken at face value, and the satire is so thick you can't help but be amused at how the director is playing with us. Stylistically, the humor is subtle & snappy with funny characterizations (excellently acted all around). The awkward "tough guy" match between Gary Busey & Bill Sorice ("Gabor") had me howling. Comedy-wise it's similar to the obscure gems "Circus Maximus" and "Bunny Whipped". If you haven't heard of those, think of "Pulp Fiction" on a caffeine high. That is: offbeat, deadpan humor but at a faster pace. If you're in the mood for something like you've never seen, give "Matt's Chance" a chance.

• Seek this film out Immediately!

  dmdbarrie2013-04-09

  After spending a day watching films at a local film festival in my home town, it was refreshing to see an independent film with real actors, a real director, an real charm! Matt's Chance is a quirky offbeat dark comedy with some very interesting and intense scenes, and is driven by its slew of odd character . Edward Furlong brings his classic slacker style of comedic performance to the film. It's possibly Furlong's best work in over a decade. The characters are fresh and do a great job of pulling off the humor that goes along with a dark comedy like this. I especially liked Bill Sorice as the mob boss character, he almost had the feel of a crazy Andy Garcia, and was a breath of fresh air to the Russian stereotypical gangster we see in independent films today. Lee Majors delivers some great lines as the advice giving Barber. You can't go wrong for an independent film with an icon like Lee Majors. Gary Busey, is casted perfectly for this offbeat character driven comedy, an makes a nice cameo as a pawn shop owner giving life lessons. Margret Kidder, "Louis Lane from Superman" makes an amazing cameo as an aging stripper that is a must see for any fan boy or girl out there. Edi Zanidache is spot on as the gangster wannabe best friend, an adds the perfect amount of charm thru out the film! All in all it's a fun ride and a great independent movie from a promising director. I highly recommend this film to people who loved Martin Scorsese's "After Hours"! If you have ever fell for the wit and charm that Mr. Furlong can produce in such films as "Pecker" or "Detroit Rock City" seek this film out Immediately!

• Misogynistic in the extreme.

  TurkeeVulture2013-12-28

  What an utterly disgusting film, dripping with misogyny. Summary: loser Matt catches his girlfriend cheating on him, and spends the entire film discussing with other people how he just wants to murder her. Everybody else agrees with him: women who wrong men deserve to die. Cameos by Gary Busey and Margot Kidder involve minor characters pointing out Matt's flaws and telling him how much of his relationship's failure was his fault; the viewer keeps hoping Matt will take the hint and become a redeemed character, but he never does. Instead, at the end GOD HIMSELF gives Matt the A-OK to become the murderer of all people (especially women) who cheat. Matt never learns a thing about how he could have bettered himself in order to attract a woman's respect and loyalty. Instead, all his feelings are confirmed, that he should always get what he wants and that women should become his slaves with no autonomy and no choice in who their partners are, and if they cross him, they deserve to die. Throw in the fact that this woman had an abortion as an ante-upper for all the male characters in the film, a reason to confirm that she deserved to die, and you have one of the most disgusting spectacles of misogyny I've ever witnessed in my life. Jessica chooses to abort the child that Matt, an enormous loser with violent tendencies, will obviously never be able to provide for, and she's the evil one for doing it? Really? Matt clearly feels that he owns Jessica, mind and body, and that she has no right to make her own decisions. Every single other male character confirms his feelings. Gross. While I actually liked the directing, which had a gritty and disjointed feel appropriate to the film's genre, on the whole the writing was miserable. The main character was never once sympathetic, just entitled and selfish throughout with no redemption. Several opportunities for Matt to turn into a sympathetic character were presented but never taken -- I guess because it was "funny" for him to remain an entitled loser. Dialog was wooden and unrealistic, a fault which most of the more experienced actors were able to overcome beautifully. Pacing was slack, dragging scenes on much longer than they needed to go. But worst of all, the story felt unsatisfying, because the loser character remained a loser and got to fulfill all his wishes of murdering women who've wronged men. What a revolting story. Movies for men, that celebrate reclaiming masculinity and male sexuality without turning women into evil-abortion-having murder-targets whose primary sin is to not give men everything they want, are out there, and are done much better than Matt's Chance, with far better stories and more understandable characters. Fight Club comes to mind. In the end, this film's biggest issue was shoddy writing. From characters who never progress to plot holes to clunky dialog to a disgusting premise that never gives any glimmer of redemption, it was the script that sunk this one. Frankly, I'm shocked that this film won so many awards with such poor writing. I can only imagine it won on the strength of the directing and the actors' performances in spite of the rough script. Nicholas Gyeney's strength is directing, and my hope is that he'll stick to his strengths for his next film, and partner with a strong writer who knows his or her craft to take care of the script.

• Should have been called Missed Chance

  jlamarca2014-12-13

  I borrowed this DVD from a friend who actually had a small part in this disastrous film. I honestly had to FORCE myself to sit through the whole thing because after all, my friend WAS in the movie & I wanted to be able to truthfully say I'd "watched" it in its entirety. A few 15 year old teens could have created, directed & produced a far superior film than the this dung. I actually liked what Lee Majors, Gary Busey & Margot Kidder have done in their past; but partaking in a movie of this caliber (or lack thereof) begs they are washed-up &/or desperate. I'm @ a loss, as to where I should even begin describing this ill-conceived, convoluted mess of a movie. The flick starts off with two guys sitting on a barstool, whereby Matt recounts a demented affair with his estranged ex. Then the disgruntled dude enlists the aid of Gabor, who threatens to rape some pregnant chick & then sexually violate the newborn baby! As they say, "And the beat goes on..." In short, the poor excuse for a film begins & ends horribly- with NOTHING gratifying in between. My caveat to anyone reading this is simply this: If, for some inexplicable reason, you feel compelled to buy this movie or even waste the $$$ downloading it, do yourself a huge favor & watch the trailer for free on YouTube. You'll certainly see what I mean & be thanking me later...

• Interesting and funny!

  actormarks-253-2707852013-04-09

  I like this movie! It's not your typical movie with the same old story line. I thought was shot fantastic I was taken back by the use of vibrant colors and the cinematography was fantastic! I found humor in one scene in particular that I won't mention but I actually thought Eddie Furlong was the perfect character choice...his dry sense of humor was clearly evident. I have to say my favorite character is Gabor he actually kept things going throughout the film and I couldn't wait to see what he was going to do next. It was good to see all the actors from back in the day and the priest was something else...lol. This is not for your average unimaginative viewer you definitely have to think outside the box and expand your mind on this one to keep up.