Gentlemen Broncos
This film comes to you courtesy of the creators of Napoleon Dynamite, so much of your reaction must depend on whether or not you enjoyed the quirkiness of that film. It’s definitely an acquired taste, and Gentlemen Broncos veers far closer to the grotesque than Napoleon Dynamite ever did. But it’s still another story about strange people who joyfully embrace their lack of talent.
This story involves Ben, a teenager who spends his time writing bad science fiction stories based on his deceased father (played, in a series of epic fantasy sequences, by Sam Rockwell). He decides to attend a science-fiction/fantasy writing camp run by his idol, the prolific and very obnoxious Ronald Chevalier (Jemaine Clement), who promptly steals his work. Meeting up with another camper, Ben winds up selling the film rights to his work to low-budget filmmaker, who promptly makes the worst film until The Room.
Gentlemen Broncos is a bizarre, otherworldly combination of fantasy (Ben’s story is called Yeast Lords, which might give you some idea of the quality) and a feel-good encouragement to do the things you love no matter what…even if those things are writing truly dreadful fantasy novels.
It’s a strangely uplifting story, though, and in some ways even better than Napoleon Dynamite, simply because Ben and his friends are far more likable human beings than Napoleon ever was. Why Gentlemen Broncos was so quickly dismissed I do not know – at the very least, it’s worth an hour and a half of your time.
