In the giant grab-bag of comedy ventures that Netflix chooses to reproduce, resurrect or freshly launch, a Christopher Guest mockumentary movie seems like a damn good idea. Since the 80s, Guest has been doing this form of comedy since the “This is…Spinal Tap” days to his directorial debut of 1996’s “Waiting for Guffman” which combined documentary style with improvisational comedy.
In the giant grab-bag of comedy ventures that Netflix chooses to reproduce, resurrect or freshly launch, a Christopher Guest mockumentary movie seems like a damn good idea. Since the 80s, Guest has been doing this form of comedy since the “This is…Spinal Tap” days to his directorial debut of 1996’s “Waiting for Guffman” which combined documentary style with improvisational comedy.
Guest’s films are often profiles of oddball characters, well-meaning weirdos, and largely loons with a dream usually culminating around an event revolving around said peculiar characters. From fancy dog shows, small-town musicals, and folk reunion shows, Guest usually finds the sweet spot between passionate, hilarious characters reaching for small-time glitz and glamour.
These profiles are often used to showcase said character’s delusions and to reflect or reveal their own obliviousness, deficiencies, and mental foibles all with great comedic affect. In a lot of ways it’s a character actor’s dream. Unfortunately I couldn’t find much depth in “Mascots” and the comedy felt more scripted and tepid as ever before with Guest’s films.
“Mascots” following the standard pattern in that like other Guest movies, “Mascots” takes on a documentary format as it follows an assorted group of oddballs who perform as mascots who hope to compete in an annual competition in pursuit of winning the Gold Fluffy. Without Guest’s twist, it’s already pretty silly.
While the set of comedy new-comers and frequent collaborators of Guest are still game for being ridiculous and showing off their still impressive comedic chops, it’s all just all well-worn territory and rather tedious by this point. While there are still the usual suspects like Parker Posey, Guest himself, Jane Lynch, Bob Balaban, Fred Willard, John Michael Higgins, Ed Begley, Jr, the film rests largely in a fresh group of faces like Zach Woods, Sarah Baker, Susan Yeagley, and Tom Bennett who do a lot of the heavy lifting to great effect.
However the lack of a grounded premise and realism help erase what good performances are found here. The idea of mocking competitive mascots is rather obvious as it’s a world that comes from a lack of pretension anyway. The mockumentary style is rather slapdash in comparison here to previous Guest comedy outings.
The confessionals and cameras being everywhere don’t really make a whole lot of sense and it can be quite distracting in its cinematic presentation. Who exactly are the characters talking to when they face the screen and expound, usually revealing details, about their lives and feelings? More often than not, it raises more questions than answers and just feels lazy and half-baked in comparison to earlier Guest work.
I would say that if Mascots didn’t treat its characters with the right amount of respect they ultimately get, “Mascots” would be a cynical nightmare to comb through. While teetering on almost human at times, the film never feels cruel or maladjusted with its own idiosyncratic but broken players. It is though, half-baked in overall execution and not satisfying.
The performances here are all quite good and more often subtle within this surely wacky premise. Even with a returning treat of seeing Guest’s more popular role from “Guffman”, the Corky St. Clair, doesn’t really elevate the film but remind you how much of this has been recycled from earlier work. So while I could find enough to giggle at to make it through “Mascots”, it’ feels its length and rarely rises to the heights of previous Guest output.
