Skills Like This – DVD Review
The Film:
Oh, how independent film makers love the slacker comedy. You can lose count try to name them all, and even then, you’ll only be able to remember a few that standout. Kevin Smith’s Clerks and Richard Linklater’s Slacker are the pivotal slacker comedies, and not just because they are so good, but those films launched their respective careers. I’m sure there are some directors looking at that pattern of success for their own, but I’m not going to lump director Monty Miranda into that category. I actually believe he had a solid purpose and idea to tell the story of some hapless 20-somethings and their aimless lives, like we all face during that time.
Comparisons to Wes Anderson’s breakout hit, Bottle Rocket, will be done, but that’s unfair to Berger’s script and Miranda’s direction. The film is more than just another “quirky comedy”, especially since the film allows for some dramatic tension. Yes, the film is funny, but quickly labeling it another quirky indie comedy is showing some shortsightedness. It’s not as quirky as the next Anderson indie comedy copycats, and while that sub-genre has grown immensely tiresome, Skills Like This handles the characters is a nature manner, making the characters so called quirks, believable, instead of quirk for quirk’s sake.
If there’s any knock on Skills Like This, it is the familiar feeling as you are watching it. Not really a bad thing, but I think that it might be a deal breaker for some. I found the familiarity to come from the characters, and how they felt like I knew them personally in my life, rather than the film itself. What is this status quo and how did it come to be? Why must we follow this traditional 9-to-5 routine? If we’re good at something, shouldn’t we follow it? That’s what I like about Skills Like This, is that it subtly asks these questions, and is ambiguous in answering them. There’s this overall aimlessness to life and to these characters, that is genuine and allows for us to relate to the film. It’s funny, has a great soundtrack, well acted and directed, making Skills Like This a groovy little movie about some disaffected young people. Yes, it is a bit familiar and not entirely original, but fresh enough to relate to it.
The DVD:
Audio/Video: I wasn’t expecting much, the the transfer was really good, especially with the budget they had to work with. There’s grain, but film grain, and little to no print damage. Colors have a muted look to it, but details are high, and contrast is sharp. Unfortunately the audio is only Dolby Digital Stereo, but dialogue is easy to hear, and it’s over-powered by the cool soundtrack. I would’ve liked a 5.1 to open up the film’s sound, but New Video’s disc is pretty solid regardless.
Deleted Scenes: There are some funny bits, but placing them back into the film would’ve hurt the flow in hindsight, so we can see why they were left out.
Cast and Crew Interviews: Despite the lack of a commentary track, this makes up for it, featuring most of the cast in talking about their roles, the film, and other related tidbits. Miranda stops by too, offering his take on how the film got made, but you can get a more thorough look at the making in my interview with him here.
A trailer and Monty Miranda’s filmmaker Biography round out the extras.
Conclusion: Skills Like This might get lumped in with every other indie comedy trying to get seen, and that’s unfortunate. It’s funny, smart, and unique enough to stand out from the pack of Anderson, Smith, and Linklater copycats.
The Film: Rating: 
The DVD: Rating:
