At first glance, Goliath is the simple tale of a man and his cat. But, look a little deeper, and you'll realize that it's obviously about so much more. A somewhat “artsy” film (the DVD cover artwork is decidedly hip), it's still relatable enough that a child could understand what it's really about: a man (David Zellner) whose life has fallen apart to the point where all he really has going for him is the loyal love of his feline companion, Goliath (or at least, had going for him — it's not long into the film before he realizes that kitty is missing).
Let's recap: This guy — who remains unnamed throughout the movie, but for the sake of argument we'll call him David — is in the midst of a divorce. At work, he is ordered to fire one of the custodians, and then take over said custodian's duties. He doesn't appear to have any friends
Goliath is effective for one simple reason: everyone can relate to a sad, lonely loser whose life has gone to hell, whether because it puts things into perspective (“Look at this poor schmuck, my life really isn't all that bad...”), or because we can empathize with this person (“I feel your pain, brother.”). This is a film for the masses — the sad, lonely masses.
But, like many funny artsy indie films, it's filled with completely random 'Um, what?' moments, like David's attempt to send out a 'MISSING' poster with a helium-filled heart-shaped balloon, or his brutal attack on his sex-offender neighbor (Nathan Zellner), who uses an assistive speech device to talk through his throat. These moments are meant to spice up what might be considered a dull, slow movie. Many scenes dragged on, a trick employed by writers and directors of late to exhibit a sense of drab realism, but one that's been irritating, I suspect, a fair few other than me. Nobody needs to watch three minutes of two people signing divorce papers.
But again, that's what those funky hipster moments are for. They allow for the audience to laugh at what, at its heart, is a pretty heartbreaking tale. Indeed, the most uplifting — and pretty much the best — thing about the movie is that ends with about a minute and a half of an adorable kitten playing with string.
DVD Bonus Features
The disc includes a 5-minute Q&A with the Zellner brothers, a 5-minute “behind the scenes look,” which is actually just a 5-minute break-dancing lesson, and another 5 minutes of deleted scenes.
"Goliath" is on sale January 12, 2010 and is rated NR. Comedy, Drama. Written and directed by David Zellner. Starring David Zellner, Nathan Zellner, Caroline OConnor.
