Milwaukee Film Festival 2016: Christopher Darling

By Andrea Thompson

Some movies are just so meaningless and dull you can't love or hate them. Rather, you just shrug and move on. The movie “Christopher Darling,” much like its eponymous protagonist, is lost in the usual sea of ennui that's even less sympathetic for its dullness. Christopher (John Glowacki) is the lead singer of a relatively well-known band which may be on the cusp of a downward spiral with the decidedly mixed reception of its latest album. Chris knows he could end up like other people he knows, in thrall to various states of underemployment or vices even worse than his, and the band touring around the country means the movie gives us a depressing eyeful of them all. But he is also well aware that he is one of the only things keeping the money coming, which means his antics won't have consequences until he's sufficiently aged out and used up. Then again, his arrogance and addictions might just force something to happen. Christopher's womanizing ways almost pushes the movie into misogynistic territory, but the film can't even manage to make that much of an impression. Glowacki has the kind of charisma that could make the jackass he plays something far more interesting, but he's not given much to work with beyond grunts and groans. At least fans of the Milwaukee film scene will get plenty of cameos from local artists.

Grade: C-