The Civilization of Maxwell Bright

The film starts off with a disclaimer stating that a true Buddist would sacrifice to live their life in hell so that another would be spared the same fate. This is followed by an opening scene that could have been taken from COPS or a really bad porno flick. It quickly emerges that Maxwell is a profane, mentally unstable misogynist who makes his living hawking TV's on TV in Southern California. His collection of pitiful friends and his materialist lifestyle are even more pathetic than his abominable anger at everything and everyone. For the first two acts, it seems a black comedy that is heading down a clichéd path toward ignominy. Maxwell's behavior is so disturbing and contemptible, you may even be tempted to leave the theater, but a story of love and sacrifice emerges that you may never forget. Maxwell's life is ultimately changed when he is able to see life differently through the eyes of both his best friend and his wife, a Chinese woman who he has arranged to marry through a broker. This film will leave you with profound emotions and may even change your life.

Although there are plot points that you could drive a truck through, this is a well thought out script and the acting is uniformly great. Patrick Warburton really gets to show us his acting chops as the cement headed misogynistic Max Bright and Marie Matiko as Mrs. Bright is the perfect counterpoint to his bluster. Special kudos to Eric Roberts as the long faithful friend. There is Warburton's impressive full frontal nudity that arrives on the scene even before the opening credits roll, but even this robust titillation quickly fades once the story is under-weigh.

On the whole I am completely baffled why this little gem of a film has languished in the Never Never Land of "Can't Find a Distributor". For those that care to search it out, it is available on DVD in Australia in the PAL format. It's a legit pressing, but looks like a work print was used for the transfer. It was filmed on video and transfered to film which doesn't help either.

Check it out.

The Civilization of Maxwell Bright is an unexpected gem. The film is not only very funny but also surprisingly insightful and endearing. David Beaird has crafted one of the most winning American indie films of recent times with the help of a uniformly great cast.

Maxwell Bright is one of the most despicable anti-heroes to come along in some time. Max is a close-minded misogynist, living a painfully unhappy life in Los Angeles. After breaking up with his girlfriend, Max deems modern women too demanding and decides to buy an Asian mail order bride, hoping to purchase a sex slave and house cleaner in the one subservient package. Needless to say, Max gets more than he bargains for with Mai Ling.

At the core of the film is Max's transformation from a clueless Neanderthal to a reasonably well-rounded human being. This could have been incredibly trite in the wrong hands, but Beaird's acidic writing manages to keep any kind of sentimentality at bay. Beaird's writing can not be praised highly enough. He has crafted a truly hilarious screenplay with hidden depth. My only objection is Mai Ling's Buddhist nun back-story which seems very far fetched and out of place in a film so anchored in reality. The same could probably be said about the scene where Max takes Mai Ling to see a preacher.

Funny dialogue would be useless without the right actors and Beaird has collected a wonderful cast for the film. Patrick Warburton is a revelation as Max. Warburton gives a brave and honest performance, never shying away from the fact that Max is generally a bad person and knows it. This self-knowledge has the counter intuitive effect of making Max strangely endearing. Marie Matiko is good as Mai Ling but is somewhat hampered by the "wise Asian" syndrome, with some of her dialogue veering dangerously close to Grasshopper territory. Luckily Matiko is a good enough actress to imbue her performance with enough grit to be believable.

Eric Roberts almost steals the show as an uncharacteristically sympathetic character. Roberts, so renowned for playing sleazy thugs, is hugely affecting as Max's best friend, Arlis. The scene in which Max ends their friendship was the highlight of the film for me. I love Jennifer Tilly, so it was nice to see her in a small cameo as Max's doctor. The same can be said for the inimitable Missi Pyle, who has a memorable turn as a foul mouthed police woman.

The civilization of Maxwell Bright is a bitterly funny tale of one man's redemption. While I didn't quite buy into Max's "civilization" and found his fate somewhat theatrical, I still enjoyed the film immensely as a fascinating character study of an unpleasant, but very real, human being.

I saw this film at the Milwaukee International Film Festival Oct. 2005. The director/writer warned us it was dark and that we could laugh. And that it was. The time just flew by while we watched the movie, which makes me feel like I didn't waste my time. Max has a lot of issues in this movie. He's a jerk. But somehow, at the end, you're OK with him being that way. I don't want to give away anything. There is nudity and there is a ton of swearing and touchy subject matters, this is not a movie for anyone who dislikes those things. I liked all the casting and the writing/plot was interesting. Didn't see the twist coming. I don't know if Milwaukee received a bad copy (is that even possible anymore?), but the film quality had a bit to be desired. Some bad sound areas and some weird stuff on the film itself, maybe that can be repaired once the film is picked up. I wish them luck!! Patrick Warbarton was in the theater for the viewing. He was very nice.

Maxwell Bright hates women, but he hates himself even more. He destroys his business, his credit rating, his home and his friendships. Even his body falls apart, seemingly under the great cosmic weight of his hatred. And yet: this movie isn't about loathing; it's about forgiving. Yes, Maxwell is repulsive. But he holds a paradigmatic, redemptive trump card: somebody loves him. If Mai Ling can forgive him, honor him, love him -- then so can we. And ultimately, so can Maxwell himself -- which is precisely what sets him free.

I enjoyed the naked shakiness of this movie. Performances by Patrick Warburton, Marie Matiko and Eric Roberts were especially textured and compelling. See this movie. It will test your powers of forgiveness, and you'll be better for it.