MOVIES

Sci-fi comedy 'Gentlemen Broncos' kicks off Fantastic Fest

Film's star Jemaine Clement talks about the movie's collision of reality and fantasy

By Chris Garcia
AMERICAN-STATESMAN FILM WRITER
Wednesday, September 23, 2009

In the new comedy 'Gentlemen Broncos,' which opens Fantastic Fest tonight at the Paramount Theatre, Jemaine Clement plays the washed-up sci-fi/fantasy author Dr. Ronald Chevalier, who steals a story idea from a young aspiring writer and claims it as his own.

At the time of our interview about the movie, Clement still had not seen 'Gentlemen Broncos' and could only describe it as taking place partly in reality and partly inside the wildly inventive story his character pilfers. Which means the film toggles between the drama of a boy being plagiarized by his writing hero and 'lasers and flying animals and things like that,' Clement says.

The film co-stars Jennifer Coolidge, Mike White and Sam Rockwell and was written by 'Napoleon Dynamite' scribes Jared and Jerusha Hess. Jared Hess also directs. The Hesses, Clement, White and Rockwell will be at tonight's screening, as well as the after-party at the Highball.

In a winky meta-gesture, Clement, in the role of Dr. Chevalier, will read his science fiction at 4 p.m. Friday at Book People. It's free.

Clement is best-known as half of the New Zealand musical-comedy duo Flight of the Conchords, whose HBO series of the same name recently wrapped its second season, and, if its creators have their way, won't be back for a third.

We spoke to Clement by phone last week.

Austin360: I'm at the distinct disadvantage of not having seen 'Gentlemen Broncos' yet ...

Jemaine Clement:Well, me neither. There's a lot of it that I wasn't involved with because there's two elements to it, the real-life world and the fantasy world. I haven't seen any of the fantasy world footage. I'm not in any of that part. It's a big part of it, I think, but I haven't seen it.

Well, you've surely read the script. What's the movie about?

It's about this kid Benjamin, played by Michael Angarano, who goes to a writers camp for children. At the same time, my character, a science fiction writer since he was 13, is starting to run out of inspiration and steals one of Benjamin's stories and passes it off as his own. That's my part of the story, anway. But there's a whole part about Benjamin's friends and his life with his sort of puritan mother, played by Jennifer Coolidge, too.

And a big part of the film takes place inside Benjamin's story?

That's right. And it's this crazy, '70s- and '80s-influenced sci-fi world, which has fantastical battles and things like that.

Tell me about your character Dr. Ronald Chevalier, this pompous, self-important sci-fi author.

He definitely comes off as pompous, but I think he's actually suffering from a confidence crisis. He's obsessed with these misogynistic sci-fi novels involving cyborg harpies that he's written. He's most known for these characters he made up when he was 13, and he's just been coasting on those for the last 30 years with no new ideas.

And so he steals the kid's story to reclaim some fame?

Yeah. If I was marketing it, I would let people find that out in the movie, but I know it's already in the trailer.

How does 'Gentlemen Broncos' fit into what Jared Hess has done in his other films, 'Napoleon Dynamite' and 'Nacho Libre'?

One thing you see in his other films is that his characters are really detailed with idiosyncracies and things that make them unique. Some things come from people who he and his wife (co-writer Jerusha Hess) know, which they incorporate into the characters. He also creates these alternative realities, with some things taken from real life. This one is different because it has the sci-fi element, quite a departure from his other films.

You've been to Austin a couple of times with Flight of the Conchords. How do you like it here?

Oh, it's great. I love that place. Actually, the first time we were there we were making a documentary at South by Southwest for New Zealand television, so we met a lot of locals and went to a lot of places, like that cowboy bar the Broken Spoke. They had this really kind of great old cowboy swing music. And we met the local personalities, like Leslie — he wears a dress — and Kinky Friedman. I hung out there a couple of days this year, too.

What's going on with the HBO show 'Flight of the Conchords'? Will you do a third season?

We've said no, but I don't know if anyone was listening. I think people might just ignore us and force us into it. They'll inject us with something that makes us do it. If you see us in a season three you'll know that we're probably under hypnosis.

cgarcia@statesman.com; 445-3649

'Gentlemen Broncos'kicks off Fantastic Fest, with writer-director Jared Hess, writer Jerusha Hess and actors Jemaine Clement, Mike White and Sam Rockwell in attendance. An after-party at the Highball follows.

When:7 Thursday

Where:Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress Ave.

Tickets:$19-$35

Information:www.fantasticfest.com

Jemaine Clement(playing author Dr. Ronald Chevalier from the film 'Gentlemen Broncos') will perform a book reading.

When:4 p.m. Friday

Where:BookPeople, 603 N. Lamar Blvd.

Tickets:Free

Information:www.fantasticfest.com

Fantastic Fest

When:Thursday through Oct. 2

Where:Alamo South (1120 S. Lamar Blvd.) and the Paramount Theatre (713 Congress Ave.)

Tickets and information:www.fantasticfest.com