The Leisure Class (2015)

I watched Jason Mann, the director, refuse to give an inch during the third season of Project Greenlight and that strategy worked for him. He got to shoot on film rather than digital, he got a bigger budget, he got to use his own script rather than the one provided to him, and he's got to be kicking himself over all of that now because he didn't leave himself anything to blame for this mess.

I’m embarrassed to admit that I was genuinely on Jason’s side throughout the season. I thought “well, that’s the director’s job: fighting for what he believes in!” I trusted the in-house press who kept telling me he was a gifted director and I figured that they wouldn’t keep throwing money at a poor risk. Even once I'd read the day-after reviews -- none of which were praise -- I still trusted that I would “get” it. From what Project Greenlight had revealed, the movie looked to be a pitch black comedy which wouldn’t tie up neatly, so I simply figured that the naysayers were haters. I guess that could still be true...but even haters can pour their disdain on deserving targets.

“Inept” is kind. “Boring” and “confusing” are both apt. But the best way to describe this film is that it will be, undoubtedly, the absolute worst thing on the resume of every single person involved. It could also very well be the sole feature film on Mann’s resume.

F