WHO IS KK DOWNEY? (INDIEPIX RELEASE) - DVD review

While watching "Who is KK Downey?" (2008) I kept thinking that it had a "Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy" (1996) vibe. I wasn't surprised then to learn that "KK" is the debut feature from Montreal's Kidnapper comedy group. Though it's a more focused narrative than KiTH's more sketch-structured film, it has the same manic energy, general absurdity, and fondness for transgressive humor. No "Cancer Boy" though.

The film lampoons the real life story of author JT LeRoy, a drug addict and male prostitute who rose to fame in literary circles by telling his story. LeRoy was later discovered to be a front for author Laura Albert who maintained the hoax by making personal appearances in costume until the house of cards came crashing down in 2005.

The film cops the basic story almost entirely. Theo (Matt Silver) is a struggling writer trying to peddle his labor of love, "Truck Stop Hustler," to publishers. A story told from the point of view of a drug addicted male prostitute named KK Downey and filled with lurid descriptions of multiple sex acts, it's got "controversial" written all over it which is a good thing in the publishing world. The problem is that nobody wants to read a "controversial" book by a boring, white suburban guy like Theo. As one sleazy publisher tells him, they're in the business of selling authors, not books.

Meanwhile, Theo's best friend Terrance (Darren Curtis) is trying to keep his fledgling rock band together while also dealing with his recent breakup with girlfriend Sue (Kristin Adams.) As if losing Sue wasn't bad enough, she's now dating the cartoonishly vain music critic Connor Rooney or, as he pronounces it, Connor (long pause) Rooney (played by Pat Kiely.)

Terrance and Theo, both facing the end of their creative careers, hatch a plot. If publishers need to sell an author, they'll give them one: the "real" KK Downey in the form of Terrance donning a wig and glasses. "Truck Stop Hustler" becomes a smash hit, and KK is the new media darling, though not in the eyes of a bitter, skeptical Connor (long pause) Rooney.

But it's not that easy. Nerdy Theo, whose last name turns out to be Huxtable, is besotted by fame and fortune and becomes a coke-sniffing, womanizing scumbag (i.e. a music producer) who insists that his peeps call him "T-Hux." Terrance, meanwhile, tries to use his celebrity alias to win back Sue's heart, but can't quite pull it off. Whacky hijinks ensue, and many a hipster is skewered along the way, not just uber-snob Connor … Rooney.

The film's hyper-kinetic editing almost made me turn it off after ten minutes, but I'm glad I stuck with it. Curtis, who could have played Spud in "Trainspotting", is a bundle of nervous energy waiting to be turned loose in each scene. Terrance is a whiny little toad (Demanding money from his parents: "I'm only 27. I'm just a child!") who still has a frisky/rabid puppy-dog charisma amplified by contrast with the losers surrounding him. The more obnoxious T-Hux gets, the more sympathetic Terrance becomes. Though lacking intelligence and tact, he's capable both of pulling off the KK scam and, for the most part, keeping the audience on his side.

Aesthetically, the hand-held HD film jumps all over the map much like its shallow, short attention span characters. The quick cutting and use of flashy but static montages is annoying, but "KK" has a DIY quality that is surprisingly appealing. The weak point is the film's emphasis on a generic "boy wants girlfriend back" plot that prevents the story or the characters from going anywhere truly audacious. I'd be interested to see these guys perform in a sketch format free of narrative chains altogether.

A final act appearance by the "real" real KK Downey provides actor Dan Haber a chance to steal the show with the film's most daring, vile performance. It's the topper on a fitfully funny satire that plays it a little too safe to score big points.

The film is co-directed by Curtis and Kiely who also share writing credits with Matt Silver.

VIDEO

The film is presented in a 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer. The image quality is generally soft but still solid overall. The transfer is, however, relentlessly dark. Granted, the film is shot mostly at night or in dimly lit night clubs, but even the few brighter scenes look underlit. In some of the darker scenes, it's difficult to make out a lot of detail, but much of that may be in the movie's visual design rather than the transfer.

AUDIO

The DVD is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0. The sound design is pretty straightforward, and the audio mix is adequate to the task. Occasional bits of dialogue are a bit difficult to distinguish from ambient noise, but not enough to be a problem. No subtitles are provided to support the English audio.

EXTRAS

The film can be played with a Commentary by Kidnapper Films' Darren Curtis, Pat Kiely, Matt Silver and Dan Haber.

The disc also includes Behind-the-Scene Stills, a Trailer, Outtakes (2 min.), and Seven Deleted Scenes (about 5 minutes total running time.) The deleted scenes can be played with or without commentary by the Kidnapper Crew.

Trailers for other IndiePix films are also included.

FILM VALUE

"Who is KK Downey?" is a low-budget Canadian comedy made with zest by a group of young talented performers. The somewhat conventional romantic storyline keeps these guys from stretching to the anarchic limits where they would truly excel. Next time, I hope they trash the story altogether and just go wild.