God Bless America Review

Movie: God Bless America
By: Orlok666
Date: January 10, 2013

Taking out the trash, one jerk at a time

Bobcat Goldthwait shows us what he thinks of American (popular) culture. And he doesn't have much good to show us.
"God Bless America" is a violent black comedy that takes a harsh, satirical look at some of America's most stupid and braindraining excesses in modern culture.

Goldthwait must be fuming with anger when he puts on his tv every night. In his latest film "God Bless America" he shows us his thoughts on today's American culture and it isn't pretty.
We are numbed, kept dumb and become antisocial. With this movie Goldthwait pushes his boundaries a little further than his previous ones: already in the first scene he lets the main character kill a baby with a shotgun.

A time to kill

Frank (Joel Murray) is a lonely, fortysomething year old guy who is plagued by migraines, noisy neighbors and stupid tv shows. When his daughter doesn't want to have anything to do with him anymore, he's fired from work -after he held a great monologue of his thought on present state of America- and Frank learns he has a incurable cancer, something snaps. Time for a kill.
When Frank wants to kill a spoiled brat from a 'Sweet 16' show he meets the 16-year-old Roxy (Tara Lynne Barr). They learn they have the same kind of disgust with today's society and decide to go on a killing spree, getting rid of extreme right-winged presenters, untalented, pathetic popstars and religious fanatics and all that they think is wrong.

Pitch black and witty

Bobcat Goldthwait delivers a daring picture that might be a stomp in the face for some. Especially a shooting scene in the cinema becomes relevant after the cinema shooting in Aurora. He makes Frank and Roxy a modern Bonny and Clyde (sans the romance), driving through the USA and leaving a trail of terror.
After a strong start the scenario starts to drift a little and becomes less important. From then on it becomes a bit of a road movie with Frank and Roxy picking out people to shoot and execute their plans. Maybe all this may sound a like some action / thriller but the film is filled with witty dialogues and through this still manages to keep a reasonable light-hearted tone. Also the people that are on their list are all caricatures and extremes, yet based on real people (or situations) so it remains a black comedy with one foot firmly set in reality.

Personal statement

The strength of the movie is that everybody recognizes things they are fed up with, for example seeing spoiled brats from 'My Sweet 16' not being happy with the car they get for their birthday or people making calls while watching a movie in the cinema. Goldthwait takes two people who have nothing to lose and sets them on a killing spree, also showing in this way what he thinks is annoying, nullifying or plain stupid.
"God Bless America" is the directors' personal crusade of what he thinks is wrong with today's culture and society. He does this well and often it seems that Frank and Roxy are the only sane people in a world of sheep, idiots and jerks. They just yearn for some decency, thinking and compassion in a world that is slowly tearing itself down. It's not the new "Natural Born Killers" but with a strong story throughout the film it would even be a more firm statement. It's definitely worth a watch if you're ready for some pitch black humor and some blood.

Official Facebook site: God Bless America