“How do you talk to women?” I would ask my friend. “With words,” he’d reply. I thought he was being an ass, but as it turns out, he was right. And that’s the funny thing about interpersonal relationships with the opposite sex. It’s the way we use words that may spell disaster for a relationship. In Knuckle Draggers, the dramedy from Alex Ranarivelo, we learn that ye olde story of love, life, sex and video games, can still engage and resonate with viewers. Even if we know the outcome from miles away.
Ethan (Ross McCall) has a problem. It’s called “life.” Dropping thousands upon thousands of dollars on a film school education, only to wind up a job you despise is not a very healthy existence. Ethan, still holding onto your his artistic ambitions has yet falter on his dreams. However, when a pampered and demanding girlfriend expects her man to bring home the bacon and help pay for the plasma TV, new furniture, Xbox 360 and all of the other trappings of materialism, well…life has a funny (by “funny,” I mean shitty) way of dealing with things.
Like when she moves out and takes all of her stuff with her. Now, left only with the comfort of an air mattress and a visit from his misogynist brother Kyle (Paul J. Alessi), Ethan must contend with heartbreak, his career and how to navigate the treacherous waters of dating in L.A. Along for the ride are his friends Russell (Omar Gooding), Patricia (Amie Barsky) and her boyfriend Gavin (Justin Baldoni). As Kyle entertains his friends with his views on women, slowly his views start to alienate his entire circle while Ethan finds a steady job which fills up most of his time when he’s not constantly phoning ex-girlfriend Tiffany (Melissa Ordway).
By the end of film, the plot tidies itself up into a nice looking package with a pretty bow and manages to do so without feeling cheap or silly. Where Knuckle Draggers succeeds is in it’s focus on a down to earth scenario without funny over-the-top devices simply there to advance the plot, not to enhance the story. Alex Ranarivelo keeps the tempo going by its realism and subtlety. His characters are allowed to speak for themselves, not through a hollowed over stylized voice box which audiences will find refreshing.
Though the argument between the sexes remain the same, Knuckle Draggers is a refreshing take on the battle.
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