A company course on cutthroat commercialism camouflaged as a slacker comedy: Thats the kindest way to explain Michael Lehmanns Flakes, a movie that shares the smug, hipper-than-thou sensibility of its sour lead character, Neal Downs (Aaron Stanford).
A hopeful rock musician who manages a New Orleans restaurant where the only costs of fare is breakfast cereal, Neal is a reflexively sarcastic deadbeat whose equally sour girlfriend, Pussy Katz (Zooey Deschanel), shares his bohemian dream of traveling the country in an Airstream trailer, making music and art.
The walls of the dining establishment, called Flakes, are lined with cereal boxes, including uncommon ceased brands. As customers slop up exotic combinations, the motion picture recommends a deadpan satire of premium fetishism. One house specialty chocolate-flavored grains soaked in chocolate milk sounds particularly nauseating.
Owned by Willie (Christopher Lloyd), a decrepit hippie geezer with mad-scientist hair, Flakes limps along as a hangout for deadbeats till a bright-eyed yuppie visitor, Stuart (Keir ODonnell), proposes turning it into a financially rewarding franchise. When Willie and Neal express no interest, Stuart establishes a competing Flakes across the street, and the New Orleans cereal wars start.
Wishing to put Stuart out of company, Neal starts playing unclean techniques, the nastiest of which is the circulation of fliers to the homeless promising 10 totally free bowls per client at his competitors establishment. The prank sets off a near-riot that Stuart skillfully turns to his advantage.
Neals new live-in relationship with Pussy begins to curdle when she turns traitor and goes to work for the competitors, hoping that the demise of the original Flakes will leave Neal with time to finish his CD. If the name of atrioventricular bundle, ringwall Cereal Killers, is perfectly chosen, its music is a joke.
As soon as attorneys become involved in the disagreement, the motion pictures anti-establishment attitude evaporates, as does the teeny little bit of levity Flakes has actually produced.
FLAKES
Opens on Wednesday in Manhattan; likewise on Video as needed.
Directed by Michael Lehmann; composed by Chris Poche and Karey Kirkpatrick; director of photography, Nancy Schreiber; modified by Nicholas C. Smith; music by Jason Derlatka and Jon Ehrlich; produced by Gary Winick and Jake Abraham; launched by IFC First Take. At the IFC Center, 323 Opportunity of the Americas, at Third Street, Greenwich Village. Running time: 1 hour 24 minutes. This film is not ranked.
WITH: Aaron Stanford (Neal Downs), Zooey Deschanel (Miss Pussy Katz), Christopher Lloyd (Willie), Frank Wood (Bruce), Ryan Donowho (Skinny Larry), Izabella Miko (Strawberry) and Keir ODonnell (Stuart).