The Clapper (2017)

The Clapper (2017)

15 minutes of fame destroys the life of a man who works as a clapper in television. EDDIE and his friend CHRIS, clap for a living as audience members on infomercials. They live a simple and content life, scraping by as the glitzy circus of Hollywood show-biz swirls around them. Eddie's only real excitement is his romance with local gas station attendant, JUDY, a beacon of light in a sea of monotony. But soon, Eddie's life is turned upside down when talk-show host JAYME STILLERMAN takes an interest in Eddie, launching a citywide media craze to uncover his true identity. The newfound fame costs him his job and Judy, who disappears without a trace. With no other choice, Eddie embarks into the world of late-night TV on a quest to hunt down his lost love.

Rating: R (for language and some sexual references)

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Directed By: Dito Montiel

Written By: Dito Montiel

In Theaters: Jan 26, 2018 Limited

On Disc/Streaming: Mar 6, 2018

Runtime: 89 minutes

Studio: Momentum Pictures

Eddie is down on his luck and only has the company of his friend Chris. They are grumpy but satisfied bumping along the bottom of life among the costumed characters on Hollywood Boulevard going from one infomercial to the next, trying to obfuscate their identities so it’s not obvious that all the shows have the same audience. They live an American Splendor kind of existence. Eddie even starts a sorta relationship with Judy (Amanda Seyfried) at the gas station. It all goes pear-shaped when a salacious low-rent talk show host played by Russell Peters notices that Eddie appears in so many infomercials and sets his fans on a search for The Clapper.

I like Ed Helms. He’s not a terribly versatile actor, at least that we’ve seen, but that thing he does, he does really well, which is to be an Everyman constantly outraged and agog at the world’s insanity, the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. This quality makes him perfect as a credulous clapper and made him the most entertaining character (OK, except Mr. Chow) in The Hangover movies. Tracy Morgan steals the scenes he’s in. Chris is maybe not so smart but always loyal to Eddie and sweet in his wrongheaded intensity. He’s someone you’d love to hang out with, just don’t let him do your taxes.

Alan Thicke makes his last appearance on film playing himself as the cynical celebrity infomercial host. Not sure he was acting, but it’s good to see him one last time. I expect shade will be thrown because of the film's low ambition, and it truly is (intentionally?) sloppy and doesn't have great production values, but the benchmark for stories is whether they can touch an audience and The Clapper does. Mostly it's a quiet salute to classic romantic comedy - and to a star who, frankly, is far nicer than the times he was born to work in. Though it's not exactly brilliant, this indie romcom is passably charming, and it finds offbeat atmosphere in an uncharted corner of Hollywood: scuzzy places where the glamorous would fear to tread.

I would rate the movie a 3/5. #moviereviews #Blogging