GFF 2011: New Low

Wendell (Adam Bowers), a neurotic, indecisive twenty-something, struggles to choose between the girl he'd prefer to be in love with and the girl he is actually in love with. He hopes to redeem his flagrant inadequacies by dating altruistic sweetheart Joanna (Valerie Jones), the only problem is that, perhaps, he's better suited to burping freegan Vicky (Jayme Ratzer). Despite some genuinely funny moments, the humour in this low-budget indie romance often feels forced, like a series of ill-conceived sketches hastily linked together.

By writing, directing and starring in New Low, 25-year-old Adam Bowers (who bears a resemblance to a young Will Arnett, aka Gob from Arrested Development) has spread himself thinner than the hair on Wendell's head. There is a curiosity about the characters that could be developed, but the clichéd dose of quirkiness and sarcasm ultimately render the film more low than new.