Product Details

• Actors: Jeremy Sisto, Chris Jaymes, Judy Greer, Christine Lakin, Matt Keeslar
• Directors: Christopher Jaymes
• Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Passion River, Interspot Film
• DVD Release Date: February 10, 2009
• Run Time: 96 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• ASIN: B001LRJGZG
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #200,383 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Showing that there is more to the American independent movie scene than geek love and inarticulate mumblecore, the debut directing feature written, produced and directed by actor Christopher Jaymes, demonstrates that is it possible to make a low-budget feature on Digital Video and also be smart, stylish and very, very funny. Not only however is the script of In Memory Of My Father razor sharp, brimming with intelligence, wit and profanity, but Jaymes shows that indie filmmaking doesn t necessarily have to rely on non-professional actors either - and when the script is this good, you really want actors who are strong enough to deliver it with the appropriate sense of irony and comic timing. The situation is a simple enough one of the dark secrets and the crisis that a wealthy and distinguished Hollywood family is plunged into with the death of its patriarch. Lying on his death bed, a once great Oscar winning movie director has asked his one of his sons to record his dying moments on camera. Christopher (Christopher Jaymes) dutifully, and not in the least bit reverentially, carries out the task with the assistance of his friend Matt (Pat Healy), but the intrusive and haphazard manner in which the dying moments of this major Hollywood figure are treated is not best appreciated by some of the close friends and relatives who turn up for his father s wake, least of all the dead man s young 26 year-old girlfriend Judy (Judy Greer). The tone adopted here is not unlike Thomas Winterberg s controversial Dogme standard-bearer Festen (The Celebration), striking the viewer from the outset with its transgressive and blackly comic sense of absurdity as the film crew fall over each other trying to record the last breath of an old, dying man. Where Festen however took a critical stance at the deep corruption of the Danish upper classes, In Memory Of My Father turns its gaze on the narcissism of the Hollywood lifestyle, where sex and drugs are freely available, and the family unit is equally a cause for dysfunctional behaviour. With all these sexual and emotional tensions building, the occasion of their father s death and the gathering of family and friends provides ample opportunity for the inevitable meltdown that is to occur. But their father still has one more shock for them from beyond the grave. But it s not all sleaze and satire. There s depth to the characterization, each of the brother s full-rounded characters with distinct and consistent personalities (the use of the actors own names suggests that they are probably drawing from their own personalities to some extent), but even secondary characters are well-defined, never appearing to be mere romantic-interest or conflict-generation devices to move the plot forward. The target of the over-privileged and over-indulged Hollywood Hills crowd with all their hang-ups and insecurities might appear an obvious target for satire, but like the work of Arnaud Desplechin (Kings & Queen), Christopher Jaymes gets to the nature of dysfunction within artistic families, intelligently, credibly and with a great deal of wit and humour. Clearly a major new talent in the making, Jaymes debut feature is simply phenomenal. --DVD Times

The death of a has-been Hollywood producer ushers in a family gathering that goes maniacally off the rails in Christopher Jaymes' raucous In Memory of My Father. Re-exploring for the umpteenth time a dysfunctional clan whose members are facing key life crises, pic eludes the trap of excessive familiarity with an acidic sense of humor and a superbly cast ensemble (most play characters with their actual first names), led by Jaymes and a knockout Jeremy Sisto. With Cinevegas' grand jury prize under its belt, group comedy will sort through fest invites and distrib offers for solid North American exposure. Black comic tone is bluntly established with the sight of Chris (Jaymes), youngest of three sons, and hyper pal Pat (Pat Healy) videotaping the last moments of Dad's life in his Hollywood mansion bedroom (David Austin, whose perf gives new meaning to still life. Dad's last wishes to Chris were to record on vid cam his passing and the aftermath, thus allowing pic to indulge in film-within-film conceit. Fortunately, as more and more family and guests arrive for the quasi-wake, device gives way to an ensembler. Dad's current lover is a shopaholic named Judy (Judy Greer), whose tendency to talk to her beloved corpse is only the start of a long day which includes doing the nasty on the bedroom floor with Dad's eldest, Matt (Matt Keeslar). Middle son Jeremy (Sisto) has the strangest trip of all, as he finds himself gradually drawn into a vaguely homoerotic bond with motor mouth Eric (Cole), here as the date of Meadow (Meadow Sisto), who -- due to familial marriages and re-marriages -- is both cousin and stepsister to the three brothers. Jaymes' script cleverly suggests that a pattern of jumping between partners was set in the previous generation, not only by Dad with his absurdly young amour but with Uncle Aled (Tom Carroll), who's both uncle to the sons and also their late mom's second husband and father to Meadow. A gnarlier family tree is hard to imagine, and though some viewers will never sort it all out, the escapades and encounters are so cannily observed and played that a mood of confusion actually contributes to the frothy, emotionally dangerous mix. Pic will be seen as the lighter side of The Celebration, both in terms of its ad-hoc and nervy approach to characters (viewed, as in that pic, in frequent neck-up shots and in close quarters) and in its view of the stained legacy of a powerful patriarch. The extended, drug-fueled duo between Sisto and Cole is quite magical, while Greer is allowed to exercise her best comic instincts (especially in tandem with the deadpan Keeslar). Group of thesps obviously enjoys every moment, while hardly lessening the negative effect of an excessively talky script. Abe Levy's widescreen vid lensing ably keeps up with the ever-active actors, and Daniel Teper's keyboard score is a fine accompaniment. --Variety

Product Description

IN MEMORY OF MY FATHER - DVD Movie

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Daddy's Dead, Let's Throw A Party--A Self-Aware Hollywood Indie Has a Great Cast But Lacks Genuine Emotion, March 7, 2011

By 

K. Harris "Film aficionado" (Albuquerque, NM) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In Memory of My Father (DVD)

If you follow the Hollywood indie film scene, you've undoubtedly encountered films very similar in conception to Christopher Jaymes' "In Memory of My Father." Set at the estate of a recently deceased Hollywood mogul, this film follows the travails of his three sons, their friends, and their extended family as they host an event to honor their father (who inexplicably lies dead upstairs). But despite the title, their father plays little actual significance to the tribute as the guests seem to be more concerned about having a party. Populated with an attractive cast and loads of self-aware dialogue, this is a solid entry into the genre--but it's not a genre that appeals to everyone. I watched this with a friend. While I liked it enough for a recommendation, despite its shortcomings, my friend absolutely hated it! He proclaimed, "that's what I call a Hollywood blah blah" movie and I can't disagree with him, per se, but I find more merit in these films that seek to please with their overly written screenplays.

At heart, this is a writing exercise. Every character speaks dialogue that is completely self-referential, self-aware, and staged. It's still smart and funny--but it's not particularly natural. As guests pop around the party, I'll maintain primary focus on the brothers. Matt Keeslar plays the eldest whose action is largely confined to a dalliance with his father's much younger girlfriend (Judy Greer). Jaymes plays one of the brothers who insists everything be filmed in memoriam. His main concerns at the party seem to be entertaining his seventeen year old girlfriend while wooing an ex. And Jeremy Sisto is the other brother who meanders around the party with Eric Michael Cole in a drug induced euphoria. There are other side plots, as well, that work with varying degrees of success--but the film's vibe is more about the whole party experience and not the individual stories.

I love clever writing, overlapping plots, and everything that highlights a film of this sort. Jaymes, who also penned the screenplay, has a talent for wording. He attempts to ground this story as a tribute to brother love, but it seems a secondary notion at best. My main issue with "In Memory of My Father" is that I just didn't like some of these people and didn't want to be trapped in a house with them. Unlikable characters are certainly essential in film--but when they aren't real (and played to rather shallow comic affect), they can be grating. A subplot involving Jaymes' best friend and his relationship woes is loud and strident. Jaymes, himself, is a rather unsavory character. But Keeslar and Greer provide some amusing highpoints (but again, unreal ones) and Sisto and Cole are the movie's saving grace. There excursion through the night is perfectly wrought and I missed it when they were absent! Still, I'd look into Jaymes' other work--this is about 3 1/2 stars but I'll round up for the impeccable Sisto and Cole! KGHarris, 3/11.