I’m going to start my review by saying that first and foremost, I thoroughly enjoy the character dynamic between that of the flamboyantly odd Harvey the Mortician (Tommy Wiseau) & the mostly grounded but troublemaking wanderer John (Greg Sestero). The time they share together on the screen typically makes for the most entertaining segments of the first Volume of this film. However, those that know how Volume 1 ended, won’t be surprised to learn that Tommy is mostly absent in these proceedings and is relegated to a few (but memorable) moments in this second half. For this reason, much of the film rests on Sestero’s shoulders, and Greg isn’t the type of actor nor is John the type of character that can carry the movie alone. Simply put, he’s not that dynamic an actor and John is not that interesting on his own. Tommy compliments him in a sort of ‘opposites attract’ way where the juxtaposition between their personalities just works well enough to be watchable (even enjoyable). Funny enough, it is Harvey that lends the most to John’s storyline in the first place. This was a baffling decision to me. One that may have paid off better if this film was simply the third act of Volume 1 and not its own feature.

The second volume of the story picks up directly where the first one left off. Harvey is killed and falls from a cliff. John takes off with an ATM full of money that was meant to be shared with Harvey but with his new found interest in a girl, he has other plans. The movie takes its setting from the Pacific Coast highway to what appears to be a desert akin to the one in Breaking Bad. Ending up there to seek refuge from authorities or unsavory people, they end up shacking up with a gentleman named Rick that John’s girlfriend knows. Rick’s a foul-mouthed, crude, experienced and overall eccentric man of a person. He isn’t someone that would have fit in with the tone of the first film. He brandishes profanity like a hunter does a knife. At times, he will say a line so out there (one particular one involving the word ‘headboard’ comes to mind), if you’re digesting a fluid at that moment, you are likely to spit it out in abrasive shock. The way some campy films can become fun to watch because of their over-the-top characters with heightened acting, the same can be said for Rick. But there’s also the campy films, where the characters overly dedicated hamminess to a role is almost nauseating. Boy, does this film skirt the balance, simply because it really does over-rely on Rick being the third main cast member of the picture. This was just too much. By the end, It was like a friend had overdone his stay.

Enough about Rick, he’s not the only bizarre character to show up on Volume two. When drifter John needs a way to open the uncrackable safe, Rick has a friend come to look at the machine and see if it can be cracked. This guy acts and speaks as if he is lifted directly from a David Lynch movie. The script choices are unique and use of wacky characters do mix up the proceedings, but therein lies the problem. This movie isn’t that concerned with story and more concerned with allegory. In this case of both Volume 1 and 2, that category happens to be friendship. The theme of friendship dominates the runtime of the picture in pretty unsubtle ways. John’s choice to betray Harvey for monetary gain, not taking advantage of the ones John loves, and him discovering that you should appreciate what you have while its around. This message is neatly tied up by the end of the flick, but its message is muddied by a subplot involving a twist with Rick and his turn to an antagonist towards the end attempting to thwart the plans John’s made to take off. Intercut between the villain conflict between John and Rick are mysterious cutaway shots of a figure trailing the both of them. This figure ends up being the plot resolver and to be honest, the figure and the conclusion can almost be predicted 30 minutes to credits. I wasn’t impressed. Tommy Wiseau’s lines are reduced to a lot of audio tracks replayed from Volume 1 and some very funny new bits recorded just for this one. He never disappoints and audiences who’ve enjoyed all his work so far will still be on board with this movie. There are some wardrobe choices for Tommy this time around, that will probably be the talking point amongst you and your friends leaving the theater.

The movie makes some bold choices. Even has some clever use of breaking audience expectations. Also, like Volume 1, the exterior shots of the desert are gorgeously shot! I mean, absolutely stunning at times. I think that director Justin Macgregor has an excellent handle at setting up the scenery for the story and giving a sense of scope to each location. This is the common trait that it shares with Volume 1, they are both very easy on the eyes. Volume 1 and 2 both have exceptionally long tracking shots and scenes without dialogue. There are scenes in both films that have no relevance to the plot or have any rewarding payoff (if any at all). In my opinion, the first Volume would have fared much better if it didn’t feel like an incomplete story by the end. This film acts essentially as one overly long, sometimes tedious to sit through, third act for a movie. So I ask, Why with so much filler material not carrying any weight for the movie, did this film need to be two pictures? I said it after Volume 1, and it couldn’t ring truer after viewing Volume 2, these movies need to be edited into one pretty decent film. It’s unfortunate that this Volume, however, carries much less of the narrative then Volume 1 (which isn’t saying much) and for that reason, it’s even tougher to sit through. There are about 25-30 minutes of truly good material, that if somehow tacked onto Volume 1, would have been far more satisfying and sensical if you ask me. This was a nice effort and I appreciate newcomer Justin’s Macgregor’s attempt at something unique and unhinged. But it also takes the right balance of tone and pacing to make something this campy work. There’s a place for long tracking location scenes and sparse dialogue. This quite simply was not one of those places.

03/10

– Josh O.