Customer Reviews

The Auteur

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is probably the funniest indie/low budget movie I've ever seen. I can't suggest this movie enough. Rent it, buy it. Malik is friggan amazing as Arturo Domingo. John Breen is awesome. The romance with Fiona is hilarious and painful to watch.

Other indie flicks can't compare. Only Boondock Saints has this kind of word-of-mouth cool.

Filmed entirely in and around Portland, Oregon, this film deftly deals with the rise and fall (and re-rise?) of a fictional porn director, his body of work, and his personal maturation. Interwoven flashback scenes help the viewer gain an insight into the director's mind and how he became who he is. Filmed with an abundance of humor and stylized faux sex scenes, this movie is perfect for the over 16 year old set.

Just be into movies, be okay with some nudity and the suggestion of sex and pornography -- as both a business and an art form. I would highly recommend this film; it will be a seminal moment in your life if you buy this movie.

i love this movie. im a big fan of dark and awkward humor. im looking forward to more films from james westby.

i want the soundtrack!

A hilarious film with a fantastic ensemble cast. Melik Malkasian is pure genius and James Westby
has arrived with this fantastic low budget film

Don't be scared away by the budget. this is not your typial crappy low budget film but instead
is a wonderfully funny and surprisingly heartwarming film. Fast paces, excellent acting and
a hilarious premise.

I saw this in a theater and the audience went nuts. so if you are tired of Hollywood Recycled crap
do yourselves a favor and buy this extremely well crafted film.

CAVEAT: No, I did not work on or finance this film.

I simply enjoyed every frame and genuinely loved it
and want to support more independent filmmakers... talented ones anyway.

The movie is alright, really good acting but the story inst very elaborate and also not very funny. Its a good entertainment if you don't expect much.

Arturo Domingo (Melik Malkasian) was a renowned filmmaker, known for making pornographic films that combined artful filmmaking with graphic depictions of sex in movies like Five Easy Nieces and Requiem for a Wet Dream. But when a falling out separated Arturo with his constant star Frank E. Normo (John Breen), Arturo's films begin to tank. Now, Arturo is being honored for his body of work with a lifetime achievement award at a film festival in Portland, Oregon as he tries to put the pieces of his life back together.

John Westby first came up with the idea for The Auteur in 2002 in a short film which also starred Melik Malkasian as the Mediterranean porn director. In the short Domingo is recording the commentary track for his hit film Requiem for a Wet Dream. Armed with a shoestring budget, Westby re teamed with the star of his short film to make a feature length film based on the life of his protagonist. So how does this low budget indie film turn out?

For the feature length sequel, so to speak, Westby borrows not only from the porn industry but also from great films like Requiem for a Dream, Full Metal Jacket, and Fight Club as well as the lives of great directors such as Martin Scorsese. Surprisingly The Auteur is a fairly good film. While Arturo could easily have been a loathsome character, and is at points, the character's well written to the point where you actually feel for the character. The writing is also surprisingly funny, and the movie is also fairly sweet for all it's raunchiness.

The acting in this movie is also fairly good considering it's D-list cast. Melik Malkasian, while he starts off a little stiff, finds his niche as the movie moves on and really fits into the role. John Breen, as Frank E. Normo does a fairly decent job when he's not mugging his way through fake sex scenes. There's also another small part for Katherine Flynn as Fiona, Domingo's ex-wife who left because of his over controlling manner. Flynn is probably the best of the bunch, but she's also the most mainstream actor/actress of the bunch having appeared in shows from Numb3rs to The Office.

On the other side of things though, some of the dialogue comes off stilted, and some of the side character's acting is less than savory. Some of the plot points also come off a little forced, and overall the pacing is slightly uneven. But with a budget the filmmaker's could afford some things are only guaranteed to be less than sub par.

All in all I would recommend this film. It's laugh out loud funny at times, sweet, and affecting. If you like movies like Orgazmo chances are you'll probably really enjoy this film. Naturally, though, and I hope that this goes without saying but I'll say it anyway, don't watch with the kids. The movie is raunchy as should only be expected with a movie based around the porn industry. If you get past that though you'll find more enjoyment than the five minutes you'd usually get from an actual porn!

3/5