Dinner in America

Independent American cinema remains a fertile ground for directors to let their imagination run wild and, above all, to make the film they want without having to face pressure from certain studios that prefer to offer soulless films that are likely to be box-office hits. In this sense, Adam Rehmeier's fourth film after The bunny game (2011), Jonas (2013) and H.P Lovecraft: two left arms (2013) stands out not only as his most successful soundtrack but also as one of the major films to be discovered during the Fantasia International Film Festival.

Many films deal with the meeting of a man and a woman who seem out of step with their times and who, by uniting, manage to find their place in society but also to find true love. The concern with most American comedies is their desire to offer sanitized works in which political correctness reigns supreme. Director Adam Rehmeier seems to be going completely against the tide by offering us with Dinner in America his version of an America in which some people still dare to brave the forbidden and enjoy life. The meeting of Patty (Emily Skeggs, the revelation of the film) and Simon (Kyle Gallner), a drug dealer but also masked singer in a punk band, will not only prove to be explosive but will also give way to mutual love.

From the very first scene of the film, the irreverent accent of the film is present and we discover Simon who gets kicked out of a drug research study for which he had signed up as a guinea pig in order to earn some money. He meets a woman named Beth (Hannah Marks) who invites him to her home and introduces him to her mother (played by actress Lea Thompson). Things quickly escalate at Beth's house and Simon is forced to leave after having messed up Beth's family. Simon lives his life as a singer in a punk band but also as a drug dealer and already seems to be in the sights of the police in this small American town that serves as a backdrop for the film. While Simon is being chased by police officers, he only owes his salvation to the intervention of Patty who was taking her break while she was working as an employee in a pet store. Patty, like Simon, is antisocial and is treated by her parents and her environment as a failure with a difficult character. Unknowingly Patty has just met the masked singer of her favorite band, John Q, who is none other than Simon.

Dinner in America is a mix between social drama, unbridled comedy but above all draws a portrait of today's realistic America in which by dint of wanting to harmonize everything, some find themselves rejected by such a system. The film's many striking dialogues and especially the excellent performance of Kyle Gallner and Emily Skegg make it not only a must-see film of this year but also one of the most beautiful surprises. It would easily have had its place also in the official selection of the Deauville festival to be held in early September. In the meantime, the Fantasia festival is offering it a nice showcase and we can only encourage you to discover this film.

Dinner in America
Directed by Adam Rehmeier
Produced by John Covert, David Hunter, Ross Putman, Sam Slater, Ben Stiller, Nicholas Weinstock
Written by Adam Rehmeier
Starring Kyle Gallner, Emily Skegg, Brittany Sheets, Pat Healy, Griffin Gluck, Lea Thompson
Music by John Swihart
Cinematography: Jean-Philippe Bernier
Edited by Adam Rehmeier
Production company: Atlas Industries, Bee-Hive Productions, PSH Collective, Red Hour Films, Visit Films
Release date: January 24, 2020 (Sundance)
Running time: 106 minutes

Seen on August 11, 2020

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