Flakes

A spoiler light review of Flakes should begin with tone, because Michael Lehmann understands exactly how this comedy ought to feel. Flakes gains early credibility from Aaron Stanford, whose presence is balanced by the different rhythm of Zooey Deschanel. The foundation of Flakes can be stated simply: A cereal bar manager with dreams of making it big as a rock star, is admired by the locals in town until a greedy capitalist steals his entrepreneurial business. Within its 1h 24m running time, Flakes reveals both the benefits and the limits of that disciplined approach.

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Michael Lehmann gives Flakes a directorial line that is uncertain about tone and dramatic emphasis from its opening promise to its final movement. The staging of Flakes is strongest when Michael Lehmann allows motivation to determine pace instead of reversing that priority. Viewed as a complete piece, Flakes confirms that isolated moments suggest a more compelling version across most of the running time. A tighter version of Flakes would address how events happen without gathering enough dramatic force, yet the surrounding work remains persuasive.

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What keeps Flakes emotionally readable is Aaron Stanford, whose choices establish a consistent point of view. In scenes with Zooey Deschanel, Flakes gains tension from two performers refusing to produce the same kind of energy. Christopher Lloyd contributes a separate rhythm to Flakes and helps the supporting material feel less purely functional. The direction by Michael Lehmann gives the cast of Flakes room to connect the quieter beats with the larger ones.

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The craft of Flakes is defined by performer rhythm, supported by performer rhythm rather than overwhelmed by decoration. InDigEnt (Independent Digital Entertainment) gives Flakes a production framework in which comic timing built around character can remain connected to story. Made from a United States production context, Flakes uses setting and design to clarify mood before dialogue has to explain it. The technical finish of Flakes works because image, sound and editing appear to be serving the same immediate purpose.

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Flakes finds additional purpose in its examination of embarrassment, status and the gap between confidence and reality. Through the performance of Aaron Stanford, Flakes makes that examination feel personal before it becomes broadly symbolic. The idea of the central character repeatedly returns Flakes to the cost behind its more visible developments. Michael Lehmann is most persuasive when Flakes allows the theme to emerge from an uncomfortable choice rather than polished dialogue.

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The plot of Flakes is built around the uneasy relationship between the central character and an important relationship. For Aaron Stanford, that relationship gives Flakes an emotional objective stronger than simple forward motion. The screenplay associated with Chris Poche lets a difficult choice reshape the direction of Flakes in stages. Although the treatment of the wider conflict could be sharper, Flakes never entirely loses the thread established at the beginning.

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For comedy fans who respond to personality and timing, Flakes is ultimately a film for only the most curious members of its likely audience. Its most persuasive combination in Flakes brings Aaron Stanford together with comic timing built around character under the direction of Michael Lehmann. The fact that events happen without gathering enough dramatic force prevents Flakes from being entirely seamless. Even with that reservation, Flakes has a clear point of view and enough genuine feeling to justify the journey.