INGENIOUS

US, 2007, 85 minutes, Colour.
Dallas Roberts, Jeremy Renner, Richard Kind, Ayelet Zurer, Marguerite Moreau, Amanda Anka.
Directed by Jeff Ballsmeyer.

Ingenious says it was based on a true story. The working title was Lightbulb!

This is small-budget independent film which is quite entertaining. It opens with Dallas Roberts and Jeremy Renner as two eager young salesman trying to sell watches with novelties, like indicating what a pet dog is thinking! They are not particularly successful, though some people admire the inventions. They keep trying.

Dallas Roberts’ Max is telling the story. He is married, loves his wife and she loves him – she is often away as his flight attendant. He has a gambling problem and his wife threatens ultimatums. He has good intentions but goes off to the greyhound track or to other opportunities, urged on by his partner, Jeremy Renner is Sam. Ayelet Zurer plays Max’s wife.

Their invention is stolen by a PR company; they are really desperate and Max goes to work for his wife’s sister and her company.

Then he ultimately gets a brainwave, a beer bottle opener which actually says ‘I like beer!’. Technical hitches almost prevent them from going to a big novelties exposition in Los Angeles, but the invention takes on, Max’s wife has invested her severance pay in the company – and all is well as they go into the recording studio and their actor for the English version records all kinds of ‘I like beer’ in other languages.

The film was very American in its belief that anyone can achieve anything and that business and money are such an important goal. But the film is so humane and amusing, we are caught up in the story of Max and Sam.

1. An entertaining story of ordinary characters, enterprise, the American desire to make good and to make money, the repercussions for character and integrity, relationships?

2. The film based on a true story, the inventor of the talking beer, novelties and sales, finance, gambling, the use of wits, enterprise and advertising?

3. Introduction to Max and Sam, their sales pictures, the invention of the watches, the reaction of the customers, limited sales, urging them to develop their pitch? People’s response? The salesman and his intervention, pressurising them, insulting the, stealing their idea, advertising the watches on television, success?

4. Max, his voice-over, his life story, his hopes and ambitions, drinking novelties, having many years, his love his wife, promising her not to gamble, being persuaded by Sam, betting them agree is casinos, lotteries? Her ultimatums? Love the him walking out?

5. Contrast with Sam, the daredevil touch, gambling, his influence on Max? His own relationships? Girlfriends? Gambling?

6. Max’s wife, flight attendant, the recurring conversations with her friend, explaining her love and relationships? Exasperation, Max drinking her trust? Leaving? Getting to work for her sister? Is doing work but his heart not in? The beer opener, showing it around, the favourable response? Her decision to invest her long service leave me? Becoming involved?

7. Max, the ups and downs of his moods, his hopes, middle age, his wife leaving him, his new invention, his being careful, his wife and her interest, the investment?

8. Getting his friends back, the secretary and office, the man critical of finance, coming back his accountant?

9. Advertising the beer opener, the studio, the actor and his jovial response – and later in warning him for advertisements in different languages?

10. The technical difficulties of the voice, going back to the manager, the workers fixing the openers and the voice? Going to the show, the exploiter mocking Max and Sam, the buyers, the order of several hundred or a wedding reception, in different languages…?

11. Pleasing variation on the American dream of success?