Crying with Laughter – Review (SXSW)

My experience at SXSW has been a great one. I’ve seen some amazing studio pictures, attended some excellent panels, and enjoyed some impressive parties, but it’s getting the chance to see truly inspiring indie films that make festivals like SXSW worth their weight in gold. Justin Molotnikov’s Crying with Laughter is a compelling thriller that took hold of my soul and didn’t let go until the credits rolled, and even then, I couldn’t get it out of my head.

The film tells the story of Joey Frisk (Stephen McCole), a stand-up comedian whose life has become the butt of his own jokes. His career path is looking up, but his life is in shambles. He struggles with with alcohol, cocaine, paying his rent, and being a responsible father. Then one day an old schoolmate, Frank (Malcolm Shields) stumbles unexpectedly back into his life during this difficult time, offering his friendship to Joey when no one else would. Only it doesn’t take Joey long to realize that Frank didn’t wedge himself back into his life with good intentions in mind.

Molotnikov creates a world that never once seems fake. While watching this film I could taste the beer, I laughed at the jokes, felt the cold on my body. His characters are real people. People that we see on a day to day basis, not the super human fashion models seen in cinema today. Joey’s comedy is extremely confrontational, sometimes accosting audience members during his act, yet even after this brash behavior I could still empathize with him. These stark realities are what make the film work on a subconscious level, keeping its audience glued to the screen with anticipation of what Joey might say or do next.

Crying with Laughter is an exuberantly acted, magnificently directed film about how two people’s memory of the same event are almost never in sync. If you get the chance to see it on the big screen I’d highly recommend it, but if not, then please seek it out of DVD because it it absolutely a killer film.

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