I saw this movie at a film festival last night and was amazed!  It is only ten minutes in length but after watching it, I felt I had the satisfaction of watching a feature length film, yet I also felt as if I had just blinked an eye because I was drawn into the story so quickly and completely.

I went to the festival because I saw the director's (Todd Albertson) feature film "Soliloquy" last year and was curious as to what this film would be like. "Soliloquy" was more intellectual humor than The Proverb, which appealed on more of a guttural level, but that didn't disappoint me a bit! The film is a mock-umentary about a reporter, a pompous Dan Rather-type who takes himself a bit too seriously, doing man on the street interviews about the meaning of a proverb for the religion segment of a network news channel. The lively cast and hilarious script kept the audience and me laughing the whole time. Scott Waara (a Tony Award winning actor & singer from "The Most Happy Fella"), in particular, steals the show.  A great scene involves Nancy Stafford (who co-starred on the "Mattlock" TV show with Andy Griffith) feeding cheese wiz to her on-screen boyfriend.  Lauren Roman (who I remember from "All My Children") also gives a gut-wrenchingly funny performance.

 The film manages to paint an affectionate portrait of its quirky characters without ever losing sight of the ridiculousness of their needy world. I would have guessed that Christopher Guest was involved in this project because it reminds me a lot of "Waiting for Guffman," "Best In Show," and "A Mighty Wind," but he was not.  To add another twist to this film, it was done experimentally in one week (from idea to finished product) with no budget.  Everybody contributed his or her time for just the fun of doing it. What a team!  I hope they all work together again like Christopher Guest's people do.  If this were a feature, it would win big time awards!

To quote Lawrence Welk in summing up the entire film, it is "Wunderbar, Wunderbar, Wunderbar!!!"

The satire subgenre uses humor, irony, exaggeration, and parody to critique and comment on various aspects of society, culture, politics, institutions, and human behavior. Satires aim to provoke thought, highlight absurdities, and expose hypocrisy by presenting familiar situations in a distorted or exaggerated manner. They entertain while also providing social commentary and encouraging viewers to reflect on the subjects being criticized.

Peter Sellers in Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

The comedy genre refers to a category of entertainment that aims to amuse and entertain audiences by using humor, wit, and comedic situations. Comedies are created with the primary intention of eliciting laughter and providing lighthearted enjoyment. They encompass a wide range of styles, tones, and themes, appealing to various tastes and audiences.

Will Ferrell, Angela Grillo, and Lap-Gei Cheung in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

The Proverb is a ten-minute mockumentary of contemporary journalism and religiosity, lampooning both as serious in form only.

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The Proverb

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