To what depths does a writer”s imagination take him? How deep does he dig within his own psyche to create a work of haunting ambiguity? Those are some questions that I found myself asking after reading the mind-bogglingly good script by newcomer Shervin Youssefian (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1352346/).
There are those scripts that you read and it feels a lot like stacking bricks on top of each other. Others, and believe me they are rare, feel like a nice breeze on your face or a tall glass of fresh water.
I had heard some things about Machiavelli Hangman, but being a creature of the 21st century, I wasn”t about to get impressed by any old trick in the book. Sure, I definitely had my initial reservations. I thought this would follow surely in the same footsteps as the latest trends in the comedy arena including Meet the Parents, Meet the Fockers, Dodgeball, Wedding Crashers, etc. Those comedies that don”t offer more than just a few calculated laughs and nothing more.
I was so pleasantly surprised as I flipped through the pages that this material stood completely on its own and it managed to bring a fresh new meaning to the comedy screen plays. I hadn”t gotten such an uplifting feeling since the first time I read When Harry Met Sally before the film had even gone into production.
The funny thing is, no pun intended, Machiavelli Hangman is not completely a comedy. It walks that fine line between humor and tragedy, but because of the structure of the film and its plotlines the two genres balance each other and work in perfect harmony. When you feel the dramatic tension rise, suddenly, a surprise twist shifts gears into comedy mode. Thinking back, I realized that I was on the verge of tears one minute, and I was laughing out loud the next.
Machiavelli Hangman is an ensemble cast script that brings together a wide range of personalities and achieves multiple character archs as did LA Confidential. The way these character walk in and out of each others” lives is so brilliantly done, that you feel as if you are catching a tiny glimpse into the intertwining logistics of the creation of this world and the how every living thing is connected.
Machiavelli Hangman is one of those films that come out of nowhere and they surprise you because they have the strength to be unique and not to lean on the success of previous material. Machiavelli Hangman (http://www.hangmanmovie.com) had that incredible panache; the same “out of this world” originality as did films like Memento and Sixth Sense.
