Little Chenier (rhymes with beer) is a vastly original and poignant tale of honest men caught in a desperate situation. Phenomenal acting by a brilliant ensemble cast combined with beautifully scripted dialogue and meticulous character development proves that creative and thought-provoking cinema isn’t dead. Quite deservingly, Little Chenier won Best Picture at the 2007 Phoenix Film Festival and is easily one of the best films of the year.

Beauxregard Dupuis (Johnathon Schaech) and his mentally handicapped brother Pemon (Fred Koehler) live in the sweltering Louisiana swamps near Cameron Parish in a tiny strip of land known as Little Chenier. Their mother abandoned them shortly after Pemon’s birth, and their father is constantly away entertaining various women and delusions of grandeur. Leading the simple lives of fishermen, selling bait at their local shop, Beaux and Pemon really only have each other. The local sheriff (Chris Mulkey) admires the two boys, but his son, Carl (Jeremy Davidson), despises them due to his wife (Tamara Braun) who is still in love with Beaux. When the sheriff is tragically killed in a gas station heist, Carl takes over and ensures that Beaux and Pemon will have a difficult time staying out of trouble with the law.

Within the first few moments of the film, you can tell that it is going to be grand. The first line of dialogue, heavily coated in a Louisiana accent, with bits of French mixed in, immediately denotes Little Chenier as different and tantalizing. And the first scene that introduces the handicapped Pemon foreshadows a deep and emotional story, full of love and tragedy. Within the seemingly simple lives of our two heroes lies a complex mesh of relationships, affairs, contempt and hatred that all eventually collide. The story is carried out with such precision it is obvious that director Bethany Wolf is familiar with the tool of character development and how to evoke emotion and connection with the most unusual of individuals. Long, lingering shots of facial expressions dominate the scenes in which words cannot be used, and yet full comprehension is universal. She masterfully examines the often painful and awkward situations involving loved ones who are mentally deficient, being sure to also include the right dose of humor and tranquility. Elegantly shot scenes of intense emotion permeate the film, including Beaux diving into the swamp to recover a picture of his mother, and Beaux and Pemon’s hilarious conversation about fornication; so many scenes are carefully crafted and sure to stick with you.

The acting is sensational by everyone in the cast. Johnathon Schaech plays Beaux with conviction and charm and despite his character flaws is consistently a hero and immediately captures the hearts of the audience. Pemon is one of the best movie characters in quite some time, and like Billy Bob Thornton’s Slingblade, brings heartwarming complexity to the tale of friendships and prejudices instilled by his tragic condition. Supporting actors T-Boy (Clifton Collins Jr.), Jeremy Davidson and Tamara Braun also wonderfully portray their compelling characters. Winning the “Best Ensemble Acting” Award as well as the “Special Jury Prize for Acting Achievement” (Fred Koehler), Little Chenier displays some of the finest performances in quite some time.

So many conflicts present themselves to our hapless heroes, and several are unable to reach a resolution by the time the film concludes. But the cut-off point the director chose to use couldn’t have been better. For it is not the future consequences that neither these survivors nor the audience must face, but the present unpredictable problems that they must painfully resolve. Easily the best film of the 2007 Phoenix Film Festival, Little Chenier is also the greatest film so far this year. And while the year may be young, I will be delighted to see this film reach a wide distribution so that others can share in the joys of this heartfelt masterpiece.

- Mike Massie