First time writer and director Marianna Palka chose to chew on a little more than she should have by also starring as the lead actress in this indie movie.
While the topic is courageous and the quirky movie feels sincere, she fails to convey any depth to the two main characters, thus making the central object of "Good Dick", their relationship, highly unbelievable. Viewers will have a hard time relating to these two outcasts, or maintain interest. To top it off, the denouement is artificial and so sudden that it feels cheap. How do they get to that point exactly?
I feel that just splitting the duties of writer and director might have allowed for an effective rewriting that would elevate the story but here, it looks like an unsure director shooting on a rough draft rather than a polished script.
I think Palka is nonetheless promising and one can only hope she will move on from collaborating with her friend Jason Ritter, or at least cast him adequately next time. Palka by herself provided interesting acting and it comes off as an honest effort but better script and a better co-lead would have led to more chemistry and a much more powerful film.
While the topic is courageous and the quirky movie feels sincere, she fails to convey any depth to the two main characters, thus making the central object of "Good Dick", their relationship, highly unbelievable. Viewers will have a hard time relating to these two outcasts, or maintain interest. To top it off, the denouement is artificial and so sudden that it feels cheap. How do they get to that point exactly?
I feel that just splitting the duties of writer and director might have allowed for an effective rewriting that would elevate the story but here, it looks like an unsure director shooting on a rough draft rather than a polished script.
I think Palka is nonetheless promising and one can only hope she will move on from collaborating with her friend Jason Ritter, or at least cast him adequately next time. Palka by herself provided interesting acting and it comes off as an honest effort but better script and a better co-lead would have led to more chemistry and a much more powerful film.