Skills Like This: Everybody Wants to be Somebody is a quirky breakthrough comedy from New Video, that attempts to follow other offbeat comedy films such as Bottle Rocket and Napoleon Dynamite. Targeted at the disaffected youth, the Skills Like this DVD releases November 17th.
Skills Like this centers on an ensemble cast as a group of friends whose shiftless lives take a new direction when zany Max (Spencer Berger) gives up on a failed writing career to take up stealing. To his satisfaction, Max discovers that he not only has a natural talent for thievery in all vareities, but he also has a passion for it.
An initial bank heist puts Max in front of beautiful bank teller Lucy (Kerry Knuppe), who hands over the cash but also finds something appealing about Max’s confident approach to his new craft. Friends Tommy (Brian D. Phelan) and Dave (Gabriel Taigerman) have opposite perspectives on Max’s obsession with stealing. Tommy is ready for the adventure while Dave is more the cautious type. Ultimately, it is Max who must decide whether to carry on with his risky behavior, or turn the corner for love and freedom.
Directed by Monty Miranda, Skills Like this is shot entirely in Colorado and features a soundtrack loaded with genuine Denver-based music. The film won the Audience Award at the SXSW and opened nationwide in theaters in March.
Despite the breakthrough promise and commitment to original comedy, Skills Like This lacks in the plot department. It is essentially a story of one man’s growing addiction to stealing and the varied reactions of his friend base. There are some clever movie moments and scenes, including a very well shot theft of a convenience story. However, there aren’t as many memorable moments or compelling characters and storylines to enable the movie to measure up to other aforementioned breakthrough films.
If you like original, offbeat, and streetwise comedies, you might enjoy Skills Like This. It has a teen to young adult target audience that might be satisfied. However, carry reasonable expectations into your viewing experience.
Grade: C
Director: Monty Miranda
Starring: Spencer Berger, Gabriel Tigerman, Brian D. Phelan, Kerry Knuppe, Ned Bellamy, Marta Martin, Jennifer Batter
DVD Review by Neil of Movie Room Reviews
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Tags: Skills Like This
Cause my nephew will like it….for Christmas : )
Y not?
I Voted for You
This looks like a cool dvd.
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Sounds like a cool and funny
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I’d like to win because I’m very partial to heist movies.
Would love to win this! Thanks for the contest!
I need some skillz…I mean skills. Looks like fun!
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I voted for you
I would like to win. I haven’t heard about this film but it sounds very funny.
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I’m in need of one
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I voted for you.
id love this for my hubby
following on twitter klp1965
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I like comedies so this would be nice to watch
There have been quite a few movies along this line. Fun with Dick and Jane (2005) …. Dick Harper
… aka Alternative Career
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