User Reviews

Sometimes less is more and this was the case in this wickedly funny little film that came from of all places Canada! - proving that our northern neighbors still can make comedy of the highest order. Recently screening in LA, this was one of the highlights of the festival. In a plastic, neon, day-glow world, STRUM is the story of a dysfunctional employee in a most dysfunctional hamburger restaurant. The dysfunctional employee is a bumbling fool and her co-workers don't take too kindly to her inept attempts to fit in. Mocking corporate conformity, McDonalds and every place that has ever had a "team cheer", STRUM is a hilarious romp at life in the modern fast-food restaurant. While I'd never eat at Strum, I'd certainly love to see more stories set in this weird little truck stop restaurant. And who says the short film is dead? STRUM is a compelling story about four misfits and proves that less is more. Probably no more than eight minutes, this is a relentless story that unfolds in various "acts" that are showcased through the various shift changes in the restaurant. Visually vibrant with a relentless moving camera, the director really found a creative way to make a single set come to life. While there wasn't a lot of money it seems to make this restaurant world it does seem to be something we haven't seen in a film before. Its been a while since I've seen a short film that really made me laugh. Most short films are angst-ridden or autobiographical. Fortunately, this film never takes itself or its characters too seriously and just has fun at everyone's joyous expense. The performances were all top notch. Hopefully we'll see more of them and the creative team that made this fantastic film. One gets the feeling that so much more could happen in this bizarre little restaurant if given the chance. Could a feature film of STRUM be far behind? Let's hope so. But again, I'd never eat at a place like STRUM (if it actually existed) and if you've seen the film, you'll know why!

I saw this little gem at a film festival recently and not knowing a thing about it, was intrigued by the name and the poster where four women in identical rainbow-like corporate outfits are waving to someone off-camera with plastic smiles. OK, interesting. What I saw on the film can best be described as Charlie Chaplin (say "Modern Times") meets Tim Burton (as in "Edward Scissorhands") and it blew us away. "Strum" (or "The Burger Joint" I think in some places) is a funky story about a new employee in a weird and wonderful restaurant who just can't seem to get the hang of things. With a tyrant of a boss, this new girl keeps screwing things up - with disastrous consequences for the restaurant's patrons (who we never see). If you want the last shot of the town (again something out of "Edward Scissorhands" or "Big Fish") you'll notice multiple car crashes, bodies and chaos in the town - I gather it was from the people who kept coming through the restaurant's drive-thru and eating the burgers. The actors were all funny in their own way. The Boss/Manager conveyed anger and malice (and crazy eyes like Peter O'Toole) in every scene. The new employee was funny in a Buster Keaton way and the other two were funny as well. Well worth seeing if its at a festival. Great soundtrack as well.

Think of "Strum" as Devo meets a Wes Anderson film. A charming little satire on the fast-food industry, "Strum" is the story of a screwup in a fast-food restaurant on her first and only day on the job. Without using any words, the screwup manages to anger her manager and coworkers almost as soon as she starts the job. Unable to fit in, and unable to even do the mandatory team cheer, she is shunned by her fellow workers as she creates disaster after disaster in their bizarre little restaurant. The rest of the cast are great as well. A compelling story done without dialogue, this is a really funny film that manages to be funny, quirky and entertaining. (Spoiler Warning - if you are a vegetarian, the site of bare-footed people flipping hamburgers with their feet will not be enjoyable.) A horror for vegetarians, but a laugh for the rest of us from beginning to end.

I saw this film at the Montecatini Terme film festival (here in Italy where I live). This film is very, very funny. At the end of the movie, many of the people in audience had tears in their eyes because they were laughing so much at the funny jokes in the film. The funny jokes are all visual so it was easy for a mostly Italian audience to understand the film which is in English. It reminded me of an old Three Stooges film in many ways, because of the actresses making faces and doing funny body movements. You can just sit back and watch the film and enjoy it. Other films at the festival are more intellectual so I went to see this for a break from the other films and trying to understand them. This film is gorgeous to watch and much like a TV show they have here in Italy for children - with very brite colors and patterns. The actresses in the film are very good as well and made us laugh.