The Giant Mechanical Man - 8 stars out of 10

The Giant Mechanical Man - 8 stars out of 10

"The Giant Mechanical Man" is completely charming.  This slice of real life feels completely natural through its simple language, unique settings, and wonderful acting.  It is the definition of an indie film, using its small cast to bring this heart-felt story to life.  The highlight of the film is Jenna Fischer, who harnesses the character traits of Pam from “The Office” and uses them to create this amiable-but-timid character who can’t find her way.  Chris Messina surpasses his average performance in films like “Argo” and “Devil.”  His character is interesting because he is devoted to something larger than himself and does so with a craft that has rarely been explored on screen, but more importantly, Messina really nails embodies this message through his emotion and non-emotion.  The effectiveness of Fischer and Messina comes from their relatability to just about every audience member, presenting a nice message about finding your place in the world.  Topher Grace is pretty annoying (as his character needs to be for the story to be effective), but it sometimes made me too aware that I was watching an indie film.  The script is great, guaranteeing a few laughs (like the guy poking the monkey) and a few tears (like the meet-cute at the end).  I also appreciate the amount of language that was left out.  It was nice to be reminded of how effective plain, simple language can be.  “The Giant Mechanical Man” easily earns an A and a spot on my list of “must-see underappreciated indie films.”