“Selfie Shootout” is a comedy about two self-proclaimed losers who decide to change their circumstances by holding a contest to submit the best selfie. The movie is written by Ron Jackson, who wrote the comedy “5 Hour Friends,” and is directed by Jackson and Giorgio Daveed. Promotion bills it as a “social satire” holding a “definite “Dumb and Dumber” vibe. But while these elements are present in small doses, what we find here is a comedy that is somewhat overlong, but one that brings laughs as a result of, not at the expense of, its cast.
The film introduces us to Chub (Ryan Bollman) and Bone (Michael Barra). They are broke, working nights in a liquor store, girl-less and hopeless. We see they are also extremely gullible, as they fall victim to deceit almost right away at the hands of two beautiful women in this opening. A beautiful girl promises to meet them that night. “What do you think happened last night?” one asks the other in reference to why she never showed. The two chalk it up to an emergency, important business, etc., clueless that they have been stood up and played. In short time, however, they decide to remedy their situation by hosting a contest called ‘Selfie Shootout;” the only problem is the grand prize keeps growing, spinning more and more out of control.
The joy of this movie lies in the hands of its leads, who do a wonderful thing with Chub and Bone – they make us like them. With a series of hijinks throughout, it would certainly have been easier to make a movie about two offensive noisemakers, such as in “Step Brothers,” or drape its leads in stereotypes like the raunchy “Hall Pass.” Make no mistake, Bone and Chub are really dumb, but they’re sweet. They’re also completely ignorant of their shortcomings, instead making a believable case for accepting yourself as you are.
Of course, it helps that both Barra and Bollman are very funny, which carries along some of the film’s more awkward moments. Scenes where the two discuss their plans for the contest in overly enthusiastic whimpers are humorous, as are others, such as a meeting with a congressman that is brushed with nepotism and satire as they attempt to get a “monopoly” for their contest (I was reminded of a scene in “Office Space” where its three leads look up ‘Money Laundering’ in the dictionary).
Performance-wise, the two do a good job, coming across as authentic, not as actors who look like they’re trying to act. Barra garners sympathy for his character, becoming the ‘leg man’ of the operation, with Chub having to constantly supply him with ideas. Barra also has one of the nicest scenes of the movie, even if it is cloaked in humor. Bone’s mother commenting that she is proud of his success but worried about his weight, he replies, “too much…or not enough.” For a film littered with gorgeous women throughout, “Selfie” makes a subtle commentary on accepting yourself they way you are. Bollman is great also, in every way as dynamic as Barra, and, with eyes closed, is a total voice doppelganger for Jack Black. Listening to his high-pitched conniving in certain scenes, I was convinced they were one in the same. They are backed up by a large cast, but most notable Nerissa Tedesco, who plays Irina, Dan Hewitt Owens, who plays Chub’s father, and Musetta Vander, who plays an FBI agent and love interest for Chub.
Where the movie suffers, unfortunately, is in its editing and female characters. The movie runs at 86 minutes, but is too long in places, regurgitating some trouble the two get into over and over where a shorter script might have done the movie justice. Additionally, while the movie is about a number of gorgeous women sending selfies, most of the female characters are completely one-sided and, in many places, just annoying. This is especially true of the film’s two recurrent con artist types, whom I disliked at the beginning and just despised by the end. There is some vindication, such as in Vander’s FBI agent and the transsexual Tiffany (Ian Watson), but it feels as though the script dropped the ball here.
Overall, “Selfie $hootout” is not a bad movie, is funny, and carries a message on its underbelly that is felt, even if its not totally experienced. This is less a moral film, or even a satire, but rather an endearing comedy a la “The 40 Year Old Virgin.” It has a good script, good acting, and is never boring. Its gem is certainly Barra and Bollman: given their talent here, I’d be interested in seeing them team up in future buddy comedies. We have Cheech and Chong, and even Harold and Kumar. Why not Barra and Bollman?
– by Mark Ziobro
