Visioneers

“Visioneers,” an independent dramatic comedy film directed by Jared Drake, first premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival on June 12, 2008.

Plot Synopsis

Visioneer George Washington Winsterhammerman lives a comfortable but monotonous life in this slightly futuristic black comedy. But when people start exploding from stress and George is showing early symptoms, he’s forced to examine his life.

Initial Reaction

I’ll start by saying that this movie isn’t for everyone. I wasn’t really sure what to expect from it going in, to be honest. It draws heavily from the “1984” concept of a homogeneous future society, in this case run by a corporation. Emotions and independent thought are considered to be bad things, and dreams are seen as a symptom of mental illness. The movie draws a lot from this somber tone, but also mixes in some elements of Zach Galifianakis’s bizarre humor along the way. I won’t say it’s always successful, but it is interesting to say the least. I’d recommend watching this movie if you are a fan of Zach Galifianakis, but don’t go in expecting a full-on comedy movie. It’s a drama first and foremost.

In-Depth Discussion

A bleak, monotonous view of society is presented in the film. A single company, the Jeffers Corporation, controls most aspects of society. The main character, George Washington Winsterhammerman (Zach Galifianakis), goes about his daily routine with a palpable feeling of misery and boredom. His wife (Judy Greer) stays at home all day and watches this world’s equivalent to Oprah all day, mindlessly buying any books or performing any tasks suggested of her. These elements add up to make an interesting setting for the film, a setting much like the one in 1984 or Equilibrium.

It seems modern society comes with one increasingly common problem – people are spontaneously exploding. Of course, independent thought and emotions are blamed for the epidemic. When George begins dreaming that he is his ancestor, George Washington, he begins to fear he will be the next to explode. Matters are made worse when Charisma (Mia Maestro), the only ray of sunshine in his bleak existence at work, is suddenly fired. The film centers around George’s quest to master these feelings that are beginning to surface. I really enjoyed this plot.

The thing that really sets this movie apart from others in this genre are the small elements of twisted humor that I can’t help but feel are there because Zach Galifianakis is in it. For starters, the last name of the main character, Winsterhammerman, is great and ridiculous, right up Zach’s alley. The Jeffers Corporation greeting is giving the middle finger to people. The biggest tell-tale Zach entry into the film is the pronunciation of the word “chaos,” pronounced in the film exactly as it is spelled (pronouncing the “ch” as you would in “chair”). These small bits of humor are interjected into this otherwise bleak world, but it is sometimes distracting. It seems to detract from the otherwise somber mood of the film. Don’t get me wrong, I love Zach and his humor, but I’m not sure everything quite works in this movie.

Ultimately, it’s a decent movie, and I’d recommend watching it. I’m not sure I’ll ever revisit this film, but it was an interesting watch, I’ll give it that.

Casual Observations

• Zach Galifianakis dressed up as George Washington in the dream sequences was pretty hilarious.
• I adore Judy Greer in anything she’s in. Her role as Kitty Sanchez in Arrested Development pretty much sold me on her from day one.