Lake Tahoe (2009)

3 1/2 Stars (out of 4)

Parts and Service

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

When Fernando Eimbcke made his directorial debut with the wonderful Duck Season, he immediately earned comparisons to Jim Jarmusch: black-and-white cinematography, deadpan humor, a distinct lack of forward momentum in the plot. He probably won't shake that comparison with his second feature, the full-color Lake Tahoe, but it doesn't matter. This film is equally wonderful, and besides, how many good Jarmusch imitators are there? In this super-stone-faced comedy, a hapless teen, Juan (Diego Cataño) crashes his car and spends the next 80 minutes trying to find both parts and someone to help make the repairs. Some shops are closed. In other shops, he has to wait for the owners to take naps. He finds one mechanic, but first must listen to a treatise on kung-fu. A girl who runs a part shop wants him to listen to her music and tries to get him to baby-sit her small child. (A scene of a man and a dog eating breakfast together for at least a full minute had me in hysterics.) Eimbcke's world -- sun-baked and lazy and almost devoid of activity or adults -- may seem aimless and pointless, but he manages a delightfully complete wrap-up and payoff.

DVD Details: The 2009 DVD from the Film Movement comes with lots of information about the Film Movement, including trailers for other releases availalbe on their website. Extras include a trailer for Lake Tahoe, cast and crew bios, and a new "short film of the month," the fun Noodles, directed by Jordan Feldman. The liner notes include an excerpt from an interview with director Eimbcke.