GEEZERS | Omeleto

A man gets bad news. Wayne is an irascible Vietnam War veteran, grumpy and cantankerous. He has few friends, alienated his family and shouts at everyone around him. His only friend is Yanni, with whom he meets up regularly at the park. But when he gets bad news about his health, Wayne has even more reason to feel pessimistic and cynical about the world. Wayne can't do anything but face his mortality, but with Yanni's help, he realizes he's not entirely alone in the world. Directed by James Kautz from a script written by Erik Potempa, this sharp-tongued yet surprisingly sincere short comedy is a portrait of an old "geezer" whose outspoken anger, grumpiness and rude manner have alienated the world around him. Wayne finds himself at odds with the world, emotionally, temperamentally and often politically. And when he gets bad news about a CT scan, he is at odds with time itself, as he realizes he has only a limited amount of it. The visual storytelling is bright, energetic and vivid, full of clashes in the editing cuts, fun freeze-frames and fast pacing that keeps viewers on their toes. But true to its garrulous main character, the narration's foundation is heavy on spiky dialogue, which is the sharpest and most vivid way for us to get to know Wayne. He spouts off his opinions, yells at the people around him for their supposed transgressions and is grouchy all around. It's very funny, but it also often puts him at odds with the world and people around him. Actor Dan Lauria, who many will know as the father from beloved TV dramedy THE WONDER YEARS, is clearly having fun with Wayne's gruff demeanor and the colorful dialogue, but he plays Wayne's emotions with groundedness and sincerity. Wayne's general anger at the world makes for many humorous moments, but when Wayne gets his diagnosis, Lauria also layers in regret, melancholy and fear. But luckily, Wayne is not alone. His equally eccentric friend, Yanni, is there for him. Played with relish by actor Cedric Cannon, Yanni is more of a free-spirit than Wayne. But when Wayne fears he's alone for the final stretch of his life, Yanni steps up and is there for his cantankerous friend, making for a heartwarming moment. GEEZERS is a lively watch with an appreciation for the off-color and boundary-pushing, but it is also a humorously observed portrait of a man acting out at a world that often marginalizes older people, who often feel left behind, unwanted and unseen. Wayne often acts out upon these grievances in ways that create their own problems, but we can understand the coping mechanism when you feel invisible to the world around you. Luckily for Wayne, he has a loyal friend in Yanni -- and together, they both have enough left in the tank to take on the world in the time left to them. GEEZERS. Courtesy of James Kautz at https://jameskautz.com.