Homegrown Action-Comedy DISPLAYS SOUTHERN CHARM

Rating:  ***  (three stars)

Randy and the Mob, in a nutshell, is an oddball comedy about a good ol' boy, Randy, who is from a middle-class Atlanta suburb. Randy has an identical-twin gay brother, Cecil (Ray McKinnon plays both brothers), and he's married to a clinically depressed baton teacher with Carpal Tunnel syndrome (Lisa Blount).

Next on 'Cooking with Walton.'

The way the story is told, rather than what the story tells, is what sets Randy and The Mob  apart from a typical American comedy. The humor is very dry and delivered with a slow, off beat pace, reminiscent of a Hal Hartley film. This slow off-beat pacing is something American audiences have a difficult time digesting because of their typical fast food comedy diet consisting of expected punch-lines, exaggerated actions and far fetched screwball antics.

Randy and the Mob delivers its comedy much like comedy is delivered in real life. Not much is exaggerated. There are some real boring bits in between the good stuff. The cinematography of the film instead, provides some of the needed exaggeration to bring about the humor. Such as the use of the long take on several occasions, showing from an extreme distance, the characters walking through Randy's different ridiculous "enterprises" to collect enough change to pay an employee whose paycheck has bounced.

Many of the situations in Randy and the Mob take a minute to get established, as well as the characters taking a minute to get established; all the while the humor is simmering in the background and eventually, it comes to a slow rolling boil by the end of the film. Some of the funniest moments of the film are delivered by Cecil (the gay brother played by McKinnon), by just being himself. For instance, Cecil and his life partner are away for a private weekend at ‘the cabin' and we see Cecil in drag, wearing the most ridiculous teal color pantsuit. Randy unexpectedly shows up at the cabin, followed by the mob and a shootout /standoff occurs. All the while Cecil holds down the fort wearing his teal color pantsuit.

Having a gay protagonist in a film about the south is one of the many contradictions in the good ol' boy story of Randy and the Mob. The other big contradiction of the film is of course Tino.  Tino is sent in as a tough guy by the mob, to straighten out a situation. Instead of being a tough guy, Tino acts as a zen-like mentor who wants only to improve Randy's business ventures. He does things like recycling the left-over heat used from the barbeque restaurant to create a steam sauna out back. He gives ‘I-talian' cooking demonstrations followed by clogging demonstrations. Eventually Tino becomes a trusted member of Randy's small community.

But things are never just what they seem in Randy and The Mob, and this unexpected element is what makes the film worth seeing. Just don't expect your typical fast food comedy menu.

Lisa Ward is a video artist living, working and teaching video in Atlanta, Georgia.