20131226: Documentary Review--Talhotblond

Talhotblond

1. Fundamentals, reception.
1. American live action feature length film, 2009, NR, 75 minutes, documentary, crime.
2. IMDB: 6.9/10.0 from 1,041 audience ratings.  Estimated budget, 75,000 USD.
3. Rotten Tomatoes: 'No reviews yet,' and 64% liked it from 436 audience ratings.
4. Netflix: 3.6/5.0 from 24,520 audience ratings.
5. Directed by: Barbara Schroeder.
6. Starring: As themselves: Thomas Montgomery (murderer), Ken Case (former prosecutor), Rex Beaber (clinical psychologist), Steve Clement (narrator).


2. Setup and Plot
1. Thomas Montgomery is a middle aged father of two who lives and works in Western New York, near Buffalo.  He is in a job where he has hit the advancement ceiling.  His middle aged body trends into impotence, and he starts looking for satisfaction elsewhere than with his wife.


2. He meets in a chat room a girl named Jessi, from West Virginia, whose online handle is talhotblond.  Montgomery's handle is marinesniper.  Montgomery was a Marine, but not one who saw combat.  Still, he makes up all sorts of nonsensical lies for his online encounters with Jessi.


3. Montgomery's wife catches wind of what he is doing; she confronts him and writes Jessi a letter, telling her a number of pertinent truths.  A co-worker Brian also learns of Montgomery's foolishness, and enters the fray.  Jessi and Brian flame Montgomery and get him suspended from the online chats.  Montgomery stays away from it a while, but later he comes back in.  Montgomery manipulates things to get Brian (handle beefcake), off the game; he quits associating with Brian in the real world, and online.


4. That does not last forever, and Jessi pulls Montgomery back in again.   She convinces Montgomery that she is back together with Brian.


5. In a small surprise, 'Jessi' is not 18; she also is a deep liar like Montgomery.  Also, she is Mary, the real Jessi's mother.  So two middle aged, unattractive adults keep this storm of lies going via their totally false online characters.  How does this play out in real life?  Very badly, as it turns out.  Who gets to walk away from this?


3. Conclusions
1. One line summary: Man plays out in real life what his online persona would do.
2. Four stars of five.


4. Scores
1. Cinematography: 8/10 Mostly good.


2. Sound: 10/10 OK.


3. Screenplay: 8/10 Tells the real-life and online stories fairly well.  Some of the character studies are good for depth.