Rating: B
Dir: Samuel Lodato
Star: Yoshi Barrigas, Sara Granato, Francesca Kos, Ferne Romaniuk
There has been a process of rediscovery lately, with film-makers whose movies were ignored or only marginally circulated at the time, being re-evaluated and their lives documented. For example, director and producer Cliff Twemlow. He made a slew of low-budget straight to video films in the eighties, which nobody particularly noticed at the time, but are now available in a box-set, along with the documentary Mancunian Man. Remi Milligan, born Michele Benedetto, is a similar creator, whose micro-budget movies like Killer Pencil, The Greek Connection, and Song & Dance at Guantanamo Bay, barely made a ripple before Milligan vanished mysteriously in 2006. In fact, the most fanatical fan of underground cinema would be forgiven if they had never heard of Remi at all.
Because he doesn’t exist.
For this is a mockumentary, creating the myth of Milligan, though archive footage, interviews with his associates, friends and family members, and clips from his movies. None of which exist either. For this is all done without as much as a wink or other acknowledgement to the audience, indicating everything here has been fabricated out of whole cloth, with an attention to detail that can only be applauded. Like all the best mockumentaries, this is played absolutely straight. That attitude goes all the way through to the most ludicrous elements. Which would be Satsuman, a tangerine’s search for his long-lost father, complete with an actual citrus fruit costume.
However, by this point, you’ll probably just nod, having been drawn in by the matter-of-fact way we got here. Again, the best mockumentaries are plausible, pulling you into their world. Killer Pencil (which is about exactly what you would expect it to be about, based on the title) is no less dumb an idea than many low-budget horror films. Greek Connection, with its low-budget urban grittiness, could have been a Twemlow movie. A musical about a rendition facility, repurposing popular songs, e.g. “The hills are alive, with the sound of torture”? Sure. Why not? So it becomes believable Milligan would eventually turn his attention to surreal fare, including a sex scene (top) ending in a sequence of fruit juice bukkake.
Barrigas plays Milligan, though he’s an enigmatic figure, more experienced tangentially, which adds to the mystery. We learn more about him and his attitude from associates like his girlfriend Flaminia Masina (Granato), and long-suffering yet doting parents. If you’ve ever hung out in the circle of truly committed film-makers (or just those who should be, hohoho), you’ll recognize Milligan’s type. They have an energy and enthusiasm which sweeps everyone along, including his partners in artistic endeavour, often because they’re unable to decline their friend’s requests. There are points where this does overstep itself: we probably did not need quite as much exposition from Killer Pencil. But by the end of the 75 minutes, you’ll potentially be convinced that, if Milligan is not real, he entirely deserves to be.
[The film is available to watch on VOD now, and comes to free outlets on January 26]