Finally, a film that isn't afraid to confront the real problems facing homosexual men in the 21st century. Every year, thousands of gays are forced to resort to murder, arson and incest in order to thwart their hyper-religious homicidal family's members' evil schemes, and Ben & Arthur tackles this issue head-on.
The word "genius" doesn't quite do justice to writer/producer/assistant producer/director/actor Sam Mraovich's filmmaking talents. As an innovator and risk-taker, Mraovich bravely chose to eschew conventional methods, and filmed his masterpiece using a Nokia 3200 (the same mobile phone was also used to create the film's musical score), thus giving the film a delightful shaky feel - as if it were being recorded by a drunken Parkinson's sufferer.
The quality of acting is magnificent - so few actors these days are brave enough to stare directly into the camera, or have the skills to recite their lines as if they hadn't even read the script. Each character is beautifully written: Arthur (played by Mraovich himself) is the hero of the piece, a simple man who washes paper cups for a living and is struggling with a terrible mental illness that causes irrational outbursts, murderous tendencies, and an inability to run like a normal human. His lover, Ben, is a master of deceit - he has managed to be in a cohabiting relationship with Arthur for the last five years whilst being secretly married to woman who was completely in the dark about his other life. How Ben pulled off this elaborate deception is never elaborated upon, as master-director Mraovich really knows how to create a sense of intrigue. Arthur's brother, Victor, is the main antagonist - a fanatical Christian who attends a papièr-maché church. He is portrayed brilliantly by Michael Harboush, famous for his role as "Hospital Intern learning from Michael Mancini" in Melrose place.
Sam Mraovich's commitment to equal-opportunities is demonstrated by the casting of a recently-lobotomised stoner as Ben and Arthur's lawyer - a brave move that could have easily backfired, the actress managed to overcome her limitations and deliver an astounding verbatim performance - you can hardly tell that she had had her frontal lobe removed just 3 hours prior to filming!
I don't understand the criticism that this film has received - I imagine that those negative posters must either be embittered homophobes, or just too limited to fully comprehend Mraovich's genius.
The word "genius" doesn't quite do justice to writer/producer/assistant producer/director/actor Sam Mraovich's filmmaking talents. As an innovator and risk-taker, Mraovich bravely chose to eschew conventional methods, and filmed his masterpiece using a Nokia 3200 (the same mobile phone was also used to create the film's musical score), thus giving the film a delightful shaky feel - as if it were being recorded by a drunken Parkinson's sufferer.
The quality of acting is magnificent - so few actors these days are brave enough to stare directly into the camera, or have the skills to recite their lines as if they hadn't even read the script. Each character is beautifully written: Arthur (played by Mraovich himself) is the hero of the piece, a simple man who washes paper cups for a living and is struggling with a terrible mental illness that causes irrational outbursts, murderous tendencies, and an inability to run like a normal human. His lover, Ben, is a master of deceit - he has managed to be in a cohabiting relationship with Arthur for the last five years whilst being secretly married to woman who was completely in the dark about his other life. How Ben pulled off this elaborate deception is never elaborated upon, as master-director Mraovich really knows how to create a sense of intrigue. Arthur's brother, Victor, is the main antagonist - a fanatical Christian who attends a papièr-maché church. He is portrayed brilliantly by Michael Harboush, famous for his role as "Hospital Intern learning from Michael Mancini" in Melrose place.
Sam Mraovich's commitment to equal-opportunities is demonstrated by the casting of a recently-lobotomised stoner as Ben and Arthur's lawyer - a brave move that could have easily backfired, the actress managed to overcome her limitations and deliver an astounding verbatim performance - you can hardly tell that she had had her frontal lobe removed just 3 hours prior to filming!
I don't understand the criticism that this film has received - I imagine that those negative posters must either be embittered homophobes, or just too limited to fully comprehend Mraovich's genius.