Karl Rove, I Love You

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Audience Member Unique, funny, fresh, and absurd politically laced mockumentary. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Audience Member There's a word that Dan Butler used to describe <i>Karl Rove, I Love You</i> in the commentary track: bizarre. As far as adjectives go, it's a pretty suitable one for this peculiar offering from a cast of unknowns. The movie is set up as a mockumentary, alleging to be an effort to profile the life of the supporting actor, but quickly changing tack when subject Dan Butler hits on the idea of playing Karl Rove. At first, Butler is predictably disgusted by Rove and intends to portray the man as a diabolical villain, but after getting bad acting advice, decides that he cannot properly become the character if he still sees him as a villain. Soon, his obsession grows until his room is plastered with pictures and news clippings about Rove. He descends slowly into madness, until the movie twists into its absurd finale. It's certainly a trip. That said, the script (by Butler and Julie Miranda) is pretty amateur, and aside from a spectacular opening sequence, the movie is populated with amateur actors. Scene after scene has characters reciting memorized lines or over-acting. When Butler decides to play Karl Rove, his weird morning excitement - complete with hoots and hollers - is particularly strange. The fact that the movie is filmed entirely with home video cameras (to give that real documentary feeling) only gives these weird "acting" bits a sharpened sense of disconnection from the rest of the film. It probably didn't help much that neither the director nor the actors knew what was going on in the movie. The idea was that limiting the crew's information about the plot of the film would create a sense of realism. As for the actors, they have to try to roll with Dan Butler's flamboyant improvisation while unclear on their roles in the finished product. Whatever works in the movie, it is hard not to keep returning to the bad acting and ridiculous script. The characters speak too quickly to be saying any words on their own, and the words are too <i>written</i> to be spoken aloud. Friends and family appear in the movie when they can, as a limited budget unsurprisingly leads to slim pickings when it comes time to build a cast. Is it unfair to take issue with these inevitable flaws? Does determination outweigh a lack of resources? We don't really give the benefit of the doubt to Ed Wood, and I find it hard to find sympathy for Leirness and his crew here, either. From the way they talk in the commentary and in the film, I don't get the sense that they are aware of the humble beginnings they still must wade through. An unearned feeling of importance hangs over their discussions, as though they are all celebrities whose talents have not yet been recognized. However intriguing the premise is, the script is weak. It's boring and repetitive, at times. It isn't good. There are a few moments of greatness, but they arrive as if by accident. Mostly, <i>Karl Rove, I Love You</i> is a mess - separated from any regular Joe's attempt at filmmaking only by the number of hours that were dedicated to this film's creation and by Leirness' eye for interesting shots. This is maybe a nice start for Butler, Miranda, and Leirness... but they've got a long, long way to go. Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 01/15/23 Full Review Audience Member I generally enjoy mockumentaries, but I didn't find this one particularly appealing. It is too slow moving and I just didn't find it that interesting or that amusing. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Karl Rove, I Love You

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