7 Chinese Brothers
Description
Larry (Jason Schwartzman) drifts through life, from one menial position to the next, without much thought for the future. Often drunk, solitary and unmoored, his closest companion is his French bulldog. He has one living relative, his grandmother (Olympia Dukakis), and only one friend, Major Norwood (Tunde Adebimpe), a ladies man who scores on their nights out while Larry goes home alone. Not much fazes Larry, so he is gob-smacked to realize that he actually likes his new job at an oil-change place and not just because his new boss, Lupe (Eleanore Pienta), is so pretty. Stephen Root, Jonathan Togo, and filmmaker Alex Ross Perry are among the supporting ensemble in Bob Byington’s low-key, existential comedy that also gently satirizes the workplace, whether it’s the Buca di Beppo where Larry briefly toils, the Quick Lube or the assisted-living facility that Grandma calls home. Despite playing a character who is self-absorbed and sometimes obnoxious, Schwartzman imbues Larry with amiability and charm. Particularly affecting are the scenes he shares with his actual pet, Arrow, amusing vignettes that underscore both Larry’s warm heart and the essential isolation of a man more comfortable in the company of a dog than with other humans. The scenes also mark Schwartzman as a good sport as he graciously plays second banana to his scene-stealing pooch. —Pam Grady
Based in Austin, TX, Bob Byington’s films include Shameless (1996), Olympia (1998), RSO (Registered Sex Offender) (2008) and Somebody Up There Likes Me (SFIFF 2012). Of 7 Chinese Brothers—named for an R.E.M. song—Byington says, “This is a 14-year-old script. I saw a movie called Hearts of Atlantis and went home and said, I can do better, and wrote the script over the course of the next six days.”
Film Details
Language English
Year 2015
Runtime 75
Country USA
Director Bob Byington
Producer Seana Flanagan, Nancy Schafer, Molly Christie Benson
Writer Bob Byington
Editor Leah Marino
Cinematographer Adam Ginsberg
Music Chris Baio
Cast Jason Schwartzman, Olympia Dukakis, Tunde Adebimpe