In this comedy by freshman filmmaker Bobby E. Goins, Bobby runs a local barbershop in his neighborhood. He likes to hang out at the local pizzeria with his friends where they pass the time talking about their day and swapping funny stories.
On one particular occasion, Bobby tells his friends a funny story: one day, all the various parts of the body have a argument over who is the “Boss” of the body, and they all end up going to court to settle the dispute once and for all. The Brain claims that it is the most important because it does the thinking; the Heart argues that it is not only responsible for pumping blood throughout the body, but it is also the core of a person’s emotions. On down the line they go: the Lungs, Stomach, Liver, and Spine, each presenting their case before the judge as to why they should be the body’s “Boss”. The final resolution to the case is unexpected, but quite funny.
One day while hanging out with his
friends, Bobby shares a story...
...about when body parts go to court to decide who’s in charge of the body.
Content
In this debut comedy, Goins has an urban-comedy-meets-Scrubs feel, in that –much like in the show—the characters experience flashbacks between time and stories. While it added to the comedy of the film, it also made it more confusing at times, because it was sometimes hard to keep track of exactly what was going on. Overall, the acting was decent and the writing was pretty smooth. However, this film definitely should’ve been split into two short films instead of being combined into a feature.
There are two distinct, separate plots in Humenetomy. The first one deals with the local community; it includes the barbershop, the pizzeria, Bobby and his friends, and other people and places in the area. The first 25 minutes of the film take place exclusively in this world, and extended scenes in the trial showed this as well (more on this in the next paragraph). While there is nothing wrong with this, you want to be careful not to confuse or distract your audience by mixing storylines that are too different. These scenes would probably be better placed in their own film, because then they wouldn’t have a different story competing for the audience’s attention.
The second plotline is the actual story of the trial of the body parts. While this is more coherent, it drags a lot in the scenes where each body part submits a video of their evidence: the Lungs show a talented singer in a gospel choir, the Spine shows a group of dancers, etc. etc. While each of those scenes were nice, they went on way too long. A short montage of each would’ve been enough to convey the idea. In fact, the entire story concept of Humenetomy could’ve been effectively told in fifteen minutes or less. Because the film itself is based on a joke, trying to make it last any longer seems forced and unnatural. Also, the ending seemed quite abrupt for a feature; I felt as though there should’ve been something “more”. However, if the film had been a short, the ending (as it is) would be perfect. It is very important to remember that the length of the film should be dictated by the story you’re trying to tell; if you try to make your film longer than it should be, you run the risk of diminishing the power of your film.
While brief comedic “side scenes”
and flashbacks add humor...
...the overuse of title cards and
sound effects quickly grow stale.
Visual Look
The costuming was simple, but well done and effective. My personal favorite was the costume for the heart, which allowed it to visibly beat during the trial; that was awesome!
The camerawork and lighting were pretty basic, which is fine. There are some filmmakers that aren’t very active with their cameras, and that’s just their style; it’s in the editing process that things really start moving, and it looks like Goins may be just such a filmmaker. However, if this is the case, then it is this editing process that really needs some improvement.
To begin with, the credits are very confusing. Because separate title cards for both the character and the actor are cut together with clips of the characters, the audience quickly loses track of who is who. In addition, characters with very minor roles (e.g. the Lamborghini couple) are shown in the opening credits while others (the Liver, and the Lungs) are missing altogether. I would suggest eliminating the title cards altogether and get creative with your credits; check out some of your favorite films and get some ideas. (For two extremely creative ones, check out Napoleon Dynamite and The Mothman Prophecies, although the latter one combines moving camera moves with the credits.) Most films only put the names of their featured actors (e.g. the ones appearing the longest), the producer, executive producer, D.P., and director at the beginning of the film (although everything is negotiable!). Just be sure that the credits are clear and understandable.
I really like the whole “Scrubs” approach to jumping back and forth between timelines and reality/ fantasy/ stories; however, the way it was done in Humenetomy was awkward. If you intend to do that kind of approach to storytelling in an upcoming film, the transitions need to be much tighter. It’s not necessary to use titles each time. Although Kevin Smith got away with it in Clerks, the overuse of title cards is an indicator of a novice filmmaker. A more experienced filmmaker can let the audience know they’ve switched places/times by using quick, smooth transitions and color grading. The change in location/people/clothing/etc. will clue them in, too. Dialogue voice-overs can help the audience keep track of what’s going on as well. (e.g. Joe says, “Remember when you brought your dog over yesterday?” *transition to a scene of the previous day while Joe’s voice continues over the action of what he’s describing* “He started tearing up the new couch I just bought…”) To get some additional ideas for how to incorporate these ideas in the editing process, check out a few episodes of Scrubs or My Name is Earl. (For more dramatic use of flashback and narration, look at the transitions woven into Memento and Fight Club.)
