EIFF 2012: God Bless America
Bobcat Goldthwait, one of USA's most adventurous directors, is back with a biting satire on American culture
Some satires exaggerate for effect, but God Bless America doesn't really have to. The visions of trash culture in Bobcat Goldthwait's film are recognisable facsimiles of the real thing, which makes this litany of all that's wrong with modern society even more troubling. Tired of seeing shamelessness, ignorance and cruelty everywhere he looks, Frank (an excellent Joel Murray) finally snaps, and decides to take violent retribution against those responsible, with unhinged teen Roxy (Tara Lynne Barr) along for the ride. From My Super Sweet 16 brats to X-Factor judges, Goldthwait's targets may be obvious ones but that doesn't make his attack on them any less satisfying, and this subject matter is a good fit for his scabrous sense of humour, resulting in a number of darkly funny and taboo-challenging scenes. The second half loses some momentum, as Goldthwait lumbers Frank with a number of long rants that fail to move the film forward, but this is still a comedy with bite and purpose, from one of the most adventurous directors in American cinema. [Philip Concannon]