Gentlemen Broncos - B+

On DVD and OnDemand (2009). Rated PG, 90 minutes. Trailer.

Gentlemen Broncos emanates from the quirky brain of Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre helmer Jared Hess. From the original opening credits (each of the credits appears as the author of a cheesy sci-fi book) that DNA is evident throughout this ode to isolation. Our main 'protag' is Benjamin Purvis (Michael Angarano - a dead ringer for Shia LeBouf), a 15 year old only child homeschooler stuck in a geodesic dome house in rural Utah with his earnest and clueless 'designer' mom (Jennifer Coolidge). The film follows his story as he attends a fantasy writer's camp and comes into contact with legendary author Ron Chevalier (Jemaine Clement) and submits his novel "The Yeast Lords: The Bronco Years" into a contest only to have it stolen and plagiarized by Chevalier into a huge fantasy novel success. Click below for more Broncos:

Benjamin wears the face of bewilderment throughout the film, until he reaches his breaking point near the end of the film and his feud with Chevalier and his mother's happiness are both attained. Only in those 2 scenes does he smile. Along the way, he encounters a weird local duo (Lonnie and Tabatha), a super weird 'mentor', and lots of other unforgettable rural types. The film is intercut with scenes from the novel, starring Sam Rockwell. These scenes are very bizarre but ultimately very funny - especially in the Chevalier version where Rockwell's character is a trannie.

This one starts weird, gets weirder, lost me and then had me again at the end. I know it will get better on subsequent viewings. I can identify with the sheltered kid trying to make sense of the world and Hess does a good job of writing a good-hearted kid with Benjamin. He endures his mother and loves her, too. He allows himself to be taken advantage of, but when his mother gets mistreated, he acts out in a great, great action scene at the home of a robe magnate.

An entertaining and original film. Worth your time.