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| Bennett (Andrew Buckley) and Davis (Ed Gaughan) in Skeletons. |
By Don Simpson
Bennett (Andrew Buckley) and Davis (Ed Gaughan) are two British guys in suits who are trained to exorcise the proverbial skeletons from people’s closets. The duo traverse the lush rolling green hills of the British countryside until they find a home that matches a hand-sketched picture.
Once they find their destination, they interview their clients and acquire the required signatures and waivers. Then, it’s on with the business at hand. They use a device resembling a Geiger counter to detect the closet (or wardrobe) where the skeletons are hiding; then with magic rocks and fire extinguisher in hands and goggles strapped on, they dive into the surreal worlds where only the deepest darkest secrets reside. It is important to note that this is a task that must be done in pairs as going solo into the dark recesses of people’s memories (especially one’s own memories) has been proven to cause mental problems, even turning one’s brain to mush.
Written and directed by Nick Whitfield, Skeletons is a brain teasing comedy with highly intelligent dialog brimming with deadpan humor and a plot that requires some mental gymnastics on the part of the viewer. (I sense a strong affinity for Monty Python and Terry Gilliam…maybe even some David Lynch.) Whitfield’s cinematic eye is as squeaky clean as his knack for dialogue.
(Skeletons screens Oct. 15, 7 p.m., Oct. 16, 10 p.m. at UltraStar Cinemas at Anaheim GardenWalk. For more information: http://anaheimfilm.org/index.html)
