‘My Movie Starring Paul Dano’ Review – Satirical Look At Indie Filmmaking Becomes A Loving Testimonial To Process

“We are making a movie with Paul Dano.” — Herman, “My Movie Starring Paul Dano”. 

Boldly flippant and satirically charged: My Movie Starring Paul Dano takes playful aim at the indie filmmaking process while managing to honor and embrace it. This quasi-mockumentary is a trip down the rabbit hole and into a land of yucks, determination, and heart. One of the year’s funniest films, it follows an absurd filmmaker’s journey to make the great American film—warts, scotch tape, paper promise, and all. Irrelevant, but never to the point of stupidity. My Movie Starring Paul Dano may be about a god-awful film-within-a-film, but this actual one is perfection.

Herman (Christopher Jones) is all about the climb, the climb being making a movie. The struggling filmmaker is looking for his next idea, and inspiration arrives in the most unusual manner. One night, the famous actor Paul Dano (Michael Dennis Duggan) comes to Herman in a dream. Dano convinces him to make his feature “Bear Naked Amazonians from Mars.” Talk about inception! If he meets the deadline, the film will win Best Feature at South by Southwest, making Herman an international celebrity. Of course, Herman leaps at the nocturnal offering and sets out to make the film, waiting for the famous actor to arrive on his set.

Herman is delusional, but he has tremendous heart, and when he commits to an idea, he is fully locked in and guns blazing. An example of ludicrous, one-sided thinking appears as one of the film’s early jokes. “You want to know the secret to making the great indie film? It’s like running a cult. That’s right, I’m a cult leader. No collaborators, just disciples.” This is the style of humor that runs rampant throughout the film, and this is a mere tease.

Herman anchors the film, and as much as he is off his kilter at points, he is so genuine and sincere we cannot help but root for him to succeed on this impossible filmmaking journey. Jones finds seriousness in the absurdity, allowing the movie to strike a sweet balance between comedy and depth.

Part of what makes this semi-mockumentary flow so well is that the characters are fully realized. From Herman to his ragtag band of indie cohorts he arms-twists into joining the project. A true standout from the ensemble is Tanya (Julia Hapney). She is the second banana to Herman’s outsized eccentricities. She brings a rapier wit to the role and gives the film an even keel amid all the shenigans and out-of-left-field moments.

At times the story takes on a surrealist approach, blending reality with fantasy. It’s all an homage to the creative process, which any creative person knows is unconventional and unruly. Now, to an audience member feeling whiplashed as the film zigs and zags, fear not; it’s by design here and adds to the film’s incredulous credibility.

My Movie Starring Paul Dano is, in part, spoofing the indie filmmaking process. Even the title of this movie-within-a-movie, “Bear Naked Amazonians from Mars,” is so outwardly cringy that it makes it all the more hilarious. A guerrilla process of securing funds, filling out the cast, and, in some extraordinary cases, finding top talent to headline such a small project. Much of the film is done tongue-in-cheek. It establishes a humorous bent that runs throughout. Yet, despite all the hoopla and zany moments, there is a real takeaway here about the filmmaking process, particularly for indie filmmakers.

Director Joe Bartone captures the harsh realities of independent filmmaking. Here, he delivers an unvarnished product that, despite its penchant for laughs, is a serious account of just how hard it is to make art! The feeling of working against a clock that never stops ticking. The worry of when the proverbial floor will fall out, or the roof will cave in at any moment. My Movie Starring Paul Dano may earn its chits as an outrageous send-up, but its core message is sincere.

Filmmaking, like any art, is a labor of love. Even in the light of a hundred-million-dollar picture, the process is arduous. Now strip away the billboards, top talent, and cinematic pedigree, and reel in a ragtag of guerrilla filmmakers; it is like tackling a block of twenty-foot marble with nothing but plastic forks and iron will.

Undoubtedly, this is the most absurd film I’ve seen so far this year, but it is also one of the most heartfelt, for, as they say in comedy, there is a sliver of truth, and this film speaks its truth frankly, bluntly, and boldly. Bravo.

My Movie Starring Paul Dano is currently available on Digital platforms courtesy of Bayview Entertainment. The film is also available to stream on TUBI, XUMO, and Fawsome.

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