Dave Mercik is a struggling actor. He’s been studying acting for over 20 years, and networks at AA meetings.
Dave vs Hollywood is a mockumentary focusing on a 41-year-old who wants to make it in Hollywood. He won’t do regional theatre in Burbank; he voiced a character in Shrek Forever that was cut.
He is utterly clueless about his chances and opportunities. He spends too much on Botox, and doesn’t have an a** that ‘sings’ for butt doubling.
So, when Dave becomes the topic of his own documentary, we see his rising desperation as he fails to get through auditions and spouts platitudes about the creative process.
When he does encounter a real-life celebrity out in the wild, it is Eric Roberts, brother of Julia and “the hardest working mot*** f***er in Hollywood”. He offers Dave an opportunity with big money behind it.
With several cringe moments past and present, Dave still maintains a sense of blind optimism despite anything thrown at him.
Hollywood is a dog-eat-dog town of broken dreams, cattle calls, and valid influencers. Dave Mercik is just one little cog in the machinery that chews up talent and thrives on bad luck.
There’s a moment near the end where Dave talks about how losing a great opportunity early in his career stopped him becoming “a self-absorbed, narcissistic actor”. We’ve seen him as nothing else.
Dave vs Hollywood is an interesting watch, funny, on-the-nose, precise and beautifully acted by everyone involved – particularly Preston Tyler Ward (Dave), Vincent Spano (Phil, the interviewer), and Chloe Paige Flowers (the influencer) who all play the ridiculous scenes totally straight.
Daniel Katz and Brad Dickson (the writer) co-direct this film. Their ideas about fame, fortune, and fans are sharp and amusing. Roberts was allowed to improvise his scenes playing up his movie image, but anyone could have slotted in just as well.
I enjoyed this one. If you are at all cynical about how the wheels turn behind the finished product on your film and TV screens, you will revel in Dave’s journey to grab that breakthrough role.
Dave vs Hollywood was chosen for this year’s Dances With Films Festival in Jun, and is now heading to San Antonio Film Festival on 23 Jul.
Credit: Source link