Three Businessmen 2005
Distributed by Microcinema International/Microcinema DVD, 71 Stevenson St. Suite 400, San Francisco, CA 94105; 415-447-9750
Produced by Tod Davies
Directed by Alex Cox
DVD , color, 81 min.
Jr. High - General Adult
Experimental Film
Date Entered: 12/06/2013
Reviewed by Tom Ipri, Drexel UniversityThree Businessmen is an interesting and entertaining exercise in absurdist theater, directed by and co-starring Alex Cox, best known for Repo Man and Sid and Nancy. Initially, two businessmen, Frank King (Cox) and Bennie Reyes (Miguel Sandoval) meet in a Liverpool hotel both traveling for business, both art dealers. After the hotel staff mysteriously disappears while the two men wait for dinner, they head out into the night looking for an open restaurant. They can never decide on a place because King is a vegetarian and Reyes a carnivore.
As they wander the streets, they discuss a myriad topics from The Beatles, to technological advances, to gentrification. Deep in animated discussion, they soon lose their way. In their efforts to return to their hotel, they effortlessly slip from England to Rotterdam then to Hong Kong and finally to Japan. They eventually find a taxi and disembark in Mexico where they meet a third businessman, Leroy Jasper (Robert Wisdom). The three wander to a cafe and find themselves in a surprising situation. The clever ending is as inexplicable as the rest of the film but is strangely satisfying.
Three Businessmen is a very dialog heavy film but the short running time (80 minutes) prevents it from becoming tiresome. The characters never react to the obvious changes of locale but stay focused on finding their way back despite evidence that they are on an impossible quest.
Three Businessmen is an intriguing film but certainly more a selection for those interested in modern theater or independent filmmaking.