Live Free or Die

Friday, I conquered SIFF! I am quite proud of myself, as I have long feared the serpentine lines of eager moviegoers that one can spot every year during the Seattle International Film Festival. But, this year was my year thanks to the generosity of a co-worker with free passes. And my goodness, I was certainly rewarded with our chosen film: Live Free or Die. It turns out that "Live Free or Die" not only inspires state pride in New Hampshire but also inspires fantastically funny movie making. This little gem flawlessly delivered my favorite kind of comedy: a film that takes itself seriously and is thus hilarious. I enjoyed this much in the same way that I enjoyed the everyday ridiculousness of Napoleon Dynamite. In Live Free, we follow the story of a young man trying desperately to blacken his name, so desperate to acquire a bad reputation and thus garner respect, our protagonist, John "Rugged" Rudgate, even goes so far as to take credit for crimes he wouldn't and couldn't commit. His dreams of hero-worship are realized when he finally finds someone who is perhaps more clueless than he: Lagrand.

The true brilliance of Live Free is found in the beautiful pairing of clever writing and excellent casting. A marvelous balance is struck between the two lead characters: Rugged, played by Aaron Stanford, is delightfully earnest which allows Paul Schneider’s equally sincere Lagrand to shine with all of his strange physical stances and stilting speech. In fact, in Lagrand we find a truly memorable comic role, from the first moment Paul Schneider stepped on film as Lagrand I was captured. Schneider’s previous roles in The Family Stone and Elizabethtown were dress rehearsals for Lagrand.

I strongly recommend Live Free or Die, however there is one hitch: they have not yet found a distributor for this little piece of brilliance. Hopefully, the logistics will soon be settled, surely winning a Jury Prize at the Seattle International Film Festival for best New American Cinema will only help speed the process. My congratulations go out to Live Free’s talented Writer/ Directors: Andy Robin and Gregg Kavet. Check out their movie Web Site for the latest and greatest.