"The Saddest Music in the World" is a hard little movie. Which doesn't mean that it's hard to watch, just that it's hard to describe and classify — and harder still to critically analyze.
But perhaps hardest of all is trying to predict how audiences will respond to a movie this odd. (While it could be termed a dark comedy, there are fantasy and musical elements at play here — and that's just the start.)
This shouldn't come as a complete surprise, considering it was made by oddball Canadian director Guy Maddin, best known for 1988's "Tales From the Gimli Hospital," and whose films got considerably weirder from there.
The title of this Depression-era piece refers to a contest sponsored by Canadian beer baroness Lady Port-Huntley (Isabella Rossellini), a double-amputee hoping to find a musician capable of bringing the world to tears — and planning to award $25,000 to the winner.
Among the contestants are members of the Kent family: Hard-hearted Chester (Mark McKinney) is trying every underhanded, shifty move he can think of to fix the competition, while his father (David Fox) and his brother Roderick (Ross McMillan) are hoping to win on the strengths of their talents, and their grief.
As it turns out, Chester's secret weapon may be Roderick's estranged ex-wife (Maria de Medeiros), who's living in denial about their tragic past. Of course, he's also close with Lady Port-Huntley — who was at one time engaged to his father.
This description may make the film sound more straightforward than it is, but there are as many head-scratching scenes here as laugh-out-loud moments.
And yet, it's hard to be too negative about something as original as this.
The unique look of the film should also be noted; using Super-8 cameras and damaged film stock, Maddin has given it the appearance of an old newsreel, while the eeriness of some of scenes recalls the early expressionist works of Fritz Lang and Jean Cocteau.
The cast also gets into the spirit of things. McKinney's smarmy smooth-talker and McMillan's almost gothic musician are stand-out characters.
"The Saddest Music in the World" is not rated but would probably receive a PG-13 for scenes of simulated sex and sexual contact, violence (vehicular, brawling and a stabbing), some suggestive talk, scattered use of mild profanity (religion-based) and brief gore. Running time: 99 minutes.
E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com