“Sometimes it only takes that one person to make you feel special, valued, and like you belong in the world.” Or sometimes, all it takes is one sweet little indie romantic drama, like “The Giant Mechanical Man,” which also makes you feel that way.
This movie has a really telling scene that sets just the right empathetic tone for its storyline and for its protagonists which stuck with me and made me all nostalgic. It’s a scene in the first half where one of the protagonists, Janice, is watching a Charlie Chaplin movie at a local art house cinema to drown her sorrows while being unemployed. While Janice is laughing at the Tramp on-screen, her own life mirrors it the directionless life the Tramp leads, being between jobs despite her qualifications and controlled by the people she surrounds herself with, much like a remote-controlled robot.
Our other protagonist Tim (AKA the giant mechanical man on stilts) makes a living as a street performer to pay the bills as well as to follow his passion and brighten up passersby’s lives. And he too has his own set of folks who are constantly looking down on him for it. It’s only when Tim and Janice find themselves switching tracks against their, will, caged by soul-sucking jobs at the zoo and begin sharing their similar stories with each other, that they realize who and what is really keeping them down and how to break free.
The storyline isn’t too predictable… it’s quite simple and rather moving; and the message of learning to live life on your own terms is well sketched out. I also liked how Tim and Janice spoke volumes with just their silent expressions sometimes, because that’s where the true beauty of this ode to the ‘Chaplin-esque tale of the beaten-down underdog really lies. I also loved the message about knowing how to separate the real from the fake… and of course, about being yourself in a world that needs you to pretend to be someone/something else in order to survive, where things are easier said than done, and in a society that judges cruelly on the basis of merit or accomplishment. It’s also about following your heart’s desire despite the many letdowns and pratfalls that might come your way, which is something that viewers both young and old will relate to. The pace is more sulky than slow; and I won’t complain since that goes well with the mood of our two leads.
Chris Messina in a scene from “The Giant Mechanical Man” (Votiv Films, 2012).
Chris Messina is underrated as an actor even when he’s standing still, and brings charm and a whole lot of emotion to Tim (watch out for that pop-lock action as well). Jenna Fischer is believable as Janice, but her character feels more like a rehash of Pam from “The Office”—which bodes well with the storyline, but sadly only gives viewers a glimpse of her range of emotions and acting ability. While they’re both great actors, I wish their roles were written a bit better, with a little more depth added in.
While the two leads were lovable, and even relatable at times, I wish I could say the same about the supporting characters who just get on my nerves, especially Doug Duncan and Janice’s sister, Jill who just can’t seem to stop being so nosy and annoying about Janice’s personal life. It gets a bit too much after a while. And despite Tim being the one who works as a stilted mechanical man to pay the bills, it’s Doug the motivational speaker who comes off as the most stilted and mechanical despite his prowess at being a great conversationalist. However Topher Grace and Malin Ackerman (as Doug and Jill respectively) do complete justice to both these roles which are great contrasts to our leads.
All in all, this indie is worth watching for the lovely messages and quite a few memorable lines…and if you have the time and some extra change for it, go for it.
