Duck Season: Review By Dodd

It seems that in recent years, time never slows down. When I was younger, my parents told me to enjoy life because time goes faster with age. Indeed, at the age of 24, I can attest to more and more responsibilities making the days seem shorter. However, every once in a blue moon I reflect on what it was like as a junior high aged boy in the summer. Every single day went by at a snail’s pace, and every little thing I did seemed exciting. Whether it was drinking a tall glass of Coca Cola or listening to my favorite CD, it was the highlight of my day.

I can’t think of an American film off the top of my head that captures the slow-moving essence of youth so accurately. However, a recent film from south of the border makes a pretty convincing attempt. Duck Season is an engaging look at the lives of four individuals in Mexico, and how they manage to slug through a seemingly normal Sunday afternoon.

Flana (Daniel Miranda) and Moko (Diego Catano) are two fourteen-year-old boys left home alone on Sunday with nothing to do but play X-Box and chug plenty of Coke. The two friends want to be entranced by video games all day so much that they barely acknowledge sixteen-year-old Rita (Danny Perea) entering the apartment to use their oven. Then the unthinkable happens: the power goes out. Acting upon their instincts of consumption, they decide to order a pizza. When deliveryman Ulises (Enrique Arreola) arrives with the pie, the boys claim he is eleven seconds late. Going against their wish for a free pizza, Ulises stays at the apartment until he receives payment.

The characters are established and the film sets into motion. Duck Season is the story of four confused people put together in a cramped apartment all day long. Think of it as a Mexican Breakfast Club with less dialogue and less life-defining moments of clarity.

The main characters lounge around the apartment not sure of what to say to one another. While this may come off as too dull for some viewers, this is what ultimately works about the film. Yes, films about constant moments of conflict are far more entertaining, and set the narrative in motion. However, every once in a while, it is nice to have a film to relate to.

While Duck Season is slow moving, it also includes moments of drama. However, the reasons for these conflicts are clearly emphasized and, like real life, they are not resolved in a nice little package for the audience to fully understand. These characters, the boys in particular, create drama because they need it to get through the day. With no adult responsibilities, the only thing left to do with so little time on their hands is to create something to worry about.

The trailer for Duck Season is partially accurate, yet a little off. It is advertised as a feel-good comedy, and I think it is my duty as a critic to report this is not a "laugh out loud" film. It does have its moments, but it certainly is not joke-by-the-minute material. What does make it funny are the little things that make us snicker because we know its true. After all, watching two immature teenage boys slowly pour soda into two glasses to ensure that each glass contains equal amounts is just undeniably charming and true-to-life.

Every year I make a connection with an indie film that does not break out the emotional big guns, but instead chooses to remain subtle and quaint. Last year, that film was Junebug. This year, Duck Season is a strong contender. No it doesn’t break new grounds in storytelling and direction. It just is what it is. The film even resorts to black and white picture just to emphasize that it isn’t striving for colorful emotions. Duck Season is everyday life. While we don’t go to the movies to see everyday life, it certainly is occasionally welcome in a world of big-budget escapist films.