Sundance Review: Mother Schmuckers

The film industry is often a family affair. There is probably no other area of the economy where this is so prevalent. While the insipid nepotism of children of the rich and famous getting an unfair advantage is widespread, there’s also the unusual phenomenon of film siblings. Whether that’s in-front (Affleck, Gylennhaal, Mara) or behind (Dardenne, Coen, Wachowski) the camera. Harpo Guit and Lenny Guit combine in their feature debut, Mother Schmuckers.

Issachar (Maxi Delmelle) and Zabulon (Harpo Guit) are the kind of trouble no one wants. Low-down and dirty, the duo spend their time mischief making and causing trouble. They live in a low-rent neighbourhood with their mother, Cashmere (Claire Bodson), who they drive to despair on a daily basis. When they lose her beloved dog, January Jack, it’s the last straw and they find themselves homeless until they return the nippy little bastard.

Falling somewhere between a drug addled version of the Three Stooges and Belgium Jackass, Mother Schmuckers is a DIY ADHD nightmare. It’s relentless. Oscillating continually between insane slapstick and puerile mayhem. Whilst this won’t be to everyone’s taste, there is a lot of guile and technical trickery on show. Indeed, strip-back the surface grime and you’ll find a lot going on under the bonnet. Mother Schmuckers is one of those films where you just have to sit back, belt up and enjoy the ride.

Mother Schmuckers screens at Sundance Film Festival.