We discovered "Pottersville" the day after Easter, which is about as far off Christmas festivities as you can get. Immediately, familiar faces (Ian McShane, Ron Pearlman) began to show up, and we were confident this would be a movie with some merit. We were not disappointed.
There is a plot. The humor is fairly continuous, but not slapstick or overplayed. The spirit of a down-an-out community is captured in a way the view can feel, as are Michael Shannon's depiction of Maynard Greiger's despair yet hopeful outlook. Perhaps most entertaining are homages to the movies "Jaws" and "It's a Wonderful Life," which are woven unobtrusively into the story with excellent timing and in just the right amount. The title "Pottersville" was an early indication something was coming.
This is a better movie than the IMDb score would have you believe, and all done without nudity, vulgarity, or padding the film beyond a very adequate 1:24. It deserves to be seen every year.
There is a plot. The humor is fairly continuous, but not slapstick or overplayed. The spirit of a down-an-out community is captured in a way the view can feel, as are Michael Shannon's depiction of Maynard Greiger's despair yet hopeful outlook. Perhaps most entertaining are homages to the movies "Jaws" and "It's a Wonderful Life," which are woven unobtrusively into the story with excellent timing and in just the right amount. The title "Pottersville" was an early indication something was coming.
This is a better movie than the IMDb score would have you believe, and all done without nudity, vulgarity, or padding the film beyond a very adequate 1:24. It deserves to be seen every year.