Taking a bite out of crime

THE FOUNDATION OF CRIMINAL EXCELLENCE  aka KRIMINALAS EKSELENCES FONDS (2018)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

Although I tire of movies about making movies, I found much to enjoy in the leisurely paced meta pleasures of "The Foundation of Criminal Excellence," a Latvian crime comedy about a rather bland screenwriter who decides to forge criminal activities and make them part of his screenplay. Sure, perhaps nothing new technically but it is all in the execution.

Imants Veide (Lauris Klavins) is the screenwriter, a man who prides himself on writing stories about his life although he is more delusional than he might think. Apparently he had success with a romantic TV series called "The Flower of the Depot" that left viewers weeping with delight. Now he is commissioned to write a TV crime series though he doesn't know the first thing about the criminal underworld or con-artists ("My story is about con-artists, not criminals!"). What is a young, ignorant screenwriter to do except concoct criminal schemes with his friend Harijs Kuharjonoks (Andris Daugavins) such as stealing the neighbor's dog and selling the poor mutt; stealing burgers from a McDonald's drive-thru (the comical attempt is actually innovative), and finally a plot to steal pensioners' funds at the post office. It is supposed to work like clockwork but don't be surprised that it doesn't.

There are many colorful kooks in this film, including a naive black market seller who sells VHS tapes and musical cassettes; another naive dolt who rides a motorbike and wears his leather jacket backwards; the strong-willed female Neighbor of Imants who is ready to ignite the fires of Hell to find her missing dog, and many more. Though Klavins is slightly unappealing at first and takes some getting used to do, we root for him and his reluctant friend Harijs to survive whatever obstacle they confront.

Fluidly directed by Latvian-born Oskars Rupenheits (the first Latvian film to be funded through crowdsourcing), "Foundation of Criminal Excellence" is a comical riot that has the effrontery to deal with the messiness of real life (it is also, as advertised, set in the USSR in the 1970's though period detail is at a minimum). In its achingly festive criminal spirit, the movie consistently surprises with chaotic situations and real-life violent incidents. It has the vein of the Coen Brothers by way of Elmore Leonard to be sure but it gets by on its own unpredictability. Part of the fun of the film is seeing what criminal scheme Imants and Harijs will carry out next, no matter how harebrained. Sure, the film could be tighter paced overall but the movie never fails to captivate in its joyful frame of mind. It is about wannabe criminals who are idiots and there is a touching coda followed by a great visual joke. Unique in every way.