I'm puzzled by the relatively low IMDb rating for this excellent drama. Don't be put off by that score, because this is one of the most assured and pleasing American indies of recent years. Echoing Peter Bogdanovich's superb Targets (1968), Charming Billy tells the story of a handsome young man with a silver tongue (stage actor Michael Hayden) whose unfulfilling jobs and empty family life leave him yearning for more. When his grandfather (Tony Mockus, in a truly amazing performance) suffers a stroke, Billy is the family caregiver who tries to find meaning in the older man's suffering. Whilst the protagonist in Targets is an empty vessel, we are fully aware of the disappointments and failures of Billy's life, and the result is a powerful and intelligent existential horror story. Character actor Chelcie Ross is excellent as Billy's decidedly charmless father, and David Barkley's delicate score provides the film with an understated emotional heartbeat. This is an excellent film and should be seen by anyone remotely interested in contemporary American cinema.
Review of Charming Billy
