When the theater lights dimmed and the film started I knew I was in trouble. There was the title on the screen Down and Out with the Dolls, accompanied by complete silence. What the Fuck? A few seconds later the sound kicked in and all was well. Technical difficulties aside, It took a little while for me to get into this film. As a matter of fact after the first 15 minutes, I was sure that I wasn't enjoying the film. An hour and 15 minutes later, I wasn't so sure anymore.

Down and Out with the Dolls, plays off kind of like a faux documentary of sorts. Based on an imaginary all girl rock band, The Paper Dolls, Down and Out with the Dolls documents their quick rise to "stardom" and their even quicker collective fall back to rock bottom (get it? rock!). If ever there was an anti Josie and the Pussycats, this would be it. The 4 members of the band are about as eclectic as they come. Kali and Lavender are the two levelheaded gals, while Fauna (a band hopping high maintenance pain in the ass) and Reggie (the drugged out and sexually confused band mate) are the two lose cannons. The four gals form the band The Paper Dolls and all move in together in a huge house aptly dubbed the Doll House (clever huh?). Things are fine at first (or are they?) until tempers start to flare as each girl seems to have her own agenda. Kali is lusting after Levi (as is Fauna, but for all the wrong reasons) the lead singer of the Suicide Bombers. Reggie is dissing her boyfriend for some "female encounters of the third kind". Unfortunately these soft-core lesbian encounters, some kind of attempt at "erotica" plays off more like a Miller Lite commercial than anything else. Lavender, the least troublesome (and least seen of the four) is just having commitment problems with her boyfriend, the owner of a hipster record store in town. Things culminate with a huge party at The Doll House after they sign a deal with an indie label. Of course any rock and roll party wouldn't be complete without lots o' booze, drugs, strip quarters, and the first ever documented game of female crotch football. SCORE!

I really didn't know what I was watching at first when the film started. Things moved way to quickly and I wasn't feeling any of the characters. I thought the acting was terribly wooden with dialogue that was cheesy and not believable. I wasn't buying the fact that Fauna (anti everything, especially establishment) wanted the Doll's songs to be more marketable for radio play. I wasn't buying into any of the dilemma's these "saps" encountered. However, as things progressed I found my mood changing. Either the acting got better as things moved along, or I just didn't care anymore. Eventually, the film began to play like a Kevin Smith or John Waters vehicle and I finally understood what the filmmakers were getting at. Ultimately I found the experience of watching Down and Out with the Dolls to be wholly satisfying and enjoyable. Considering the obviously low budget, one thing I noticed from the start was how well composed each of the shots were. Director Kurt Voss truly has a cinematic eye and he was able to make a great looking indie film.

It's amazing, but my mood changed 100% as the film progressed, which is truly a rare experience in cinema these days. Down and Out with the Dolls ultimately wound up winning me over. Special mention also has to go out to a few outstanding supporting roles in the film. Mikael Jehanno as Paulo, Fauna's ex boyfriend and ex band mate nearly steals the show. I couldn't control my laughter every time he appeared on screen. Also worth mentioning is Lemmy of Motörhead as Joe, a guy who rents out Fauna's closet! Joe appears from time to time for idle chitchats or to dispense advice to whomever happens to be in the area.

It may have started out as a dud, but it ended with a huge bang. Down and Out with the Dolls turned out to be a well made indie rock and roll film that I thoroughly enjoyed. With a great supporting cast and rock songs that range from the clever to the not so clever, to just plain awful. Down and Out is campy as all hell, and a must see.

Thumbs up.