By: David Tin

Punching the Clown is one of those uniquely genuine comedies and semi-autobiographical films that go underrated and unappreciated. Not only cinematically compelling, Punching the Clown is a hysterical commentary on the lies that compose our world, especially places like Los Angeles.

It tells the story of Henry Phillips moving up the social and musical ladder of Los Angeles after spending the last sum-odd years traveling from place to place performing in dive bars for peanuts and unsympathetic crowds. If you’re not familiar with Henry Phillips work in real life, then you’ll still enjoy the film, but some of the nuances might seem obscure. Phillips is known as a satirical musician, in which his fictional agent in Punching the Clown refers to him as “James Taylor on smack,” and he comes off as Steven Wright as a musician. He retains his dead-pan humor in his songs through uproariously ripping the myth of L.A. to shreds.

While there are no explosions and can-you-believe-it CGI, Punching the Clown makes up for it in its genuine characters, all of whom you come to believe are actually real people rather than characters in a film. A friend of mine turned to me after we watched it for the first time and asked, “So, was that like a documentary?” While Henry Phillips intended for it to be semi-autobiographical, it is still very much a fictional portrayal of his life.

As stated before, Punching the Clown is about Phillips’ move to L.A. after a hapless career of living in his car playing dead-end gigs at small-town bars. After playing one night at an open mic coffee shop, Phillips moves through L.A.’s infamous society scene full of gossip and empty-shells of people. And it all happens through chance, none of his success actually being based on his talent (though Phillips is very much talented). Instead, Punching the Clown comments on how capricious and indecisive the performance industry is by exposing its superficial roots.

Of course, while Phillips moves through Tinsel Town, a rumor spreads that he is an anti-Semitic, Neo-Nazi folksinger. Needless to say, the rumor takes on a life of its own and no longer needs to be substantiated by actual facts, much like most of the myth surrounding Los Angeles. Punching the Clown is a refreshing satirical spoof on what it means to be famous and will be enjoyed with its flavorful dialogue and character development.