This film is a very well put-together indie, a visually strong examination of the character dilemma associated with not being liked/loved/accepted in any kind of real way, and how we cope with it. It mixes a lot of the catharsis and strange situations of Garden State with some of the raw humor of Clerks without getting too risky, and has an impending sense of doom for the whole movie based upon the main assertion in the very well-done opening that the main character will be killing himself.

There are great moments of truly funny humor interspersed through common situations, and a lot of very good work on the part of the whole cast. Everything is quite believable, and though Hollywood tech isn’t present, this is still a very strong showing a an entertaining film. I didn’t feel the usual arty film need to turn it off or chuck it through a window, so that makes it good indie by me.

I relate very much to the main character, in the whole struggling to be accepted by a writer theme, and have often contemplated, the way he has, a shocking and compelling way to get noticed. This movie expounds on that theme rather dramatically, and to a good end.

This film, alas, is also a film that we’ve seen many times before. The main concept, that the hero will kill himself, is newer or at least not done often, but you can pretty much tell from early on that he won’t play out on it, given that they introduce a love interest and that the tone is too comedic for it to work well.

It plays off of Garden State, and Clerks, but never really takes to extreme what made both of them so good. The Clerks extremism is touched in a tit-fucking joke, but never really pushed past the limit as Smith does. The Garden State catharsis is here, but never really plays out through the love interest. In Garden State you can relate to Natalie Portman’s character for her quirkiness. In this film, the female lead that pulls him from suicide does so by asserting that she only wants a guy with a job as opposed to strength of character, which is hard to relate to as a motivation for not killing oneself.

There’s also the fact that though I relate to the dilemma at hand, I’m personally (and this is a bias) in a very difficult, troubled situation as a writer trying to make it, whereas the main character here seems to have a quirky if loveable family that at least reads his work, and, as the brother says in his film, his catharsis ends up coming across like a post-grunge philosophical whine in ways.

There’s also just flat too many characters to relate to in a lot of ways. They’re all introduced and have their own distinctive quirks, but the quirks are never taken for a ride. The old rule of not laying down any story that isn’t absolutely essential to the motivating theme and subtext could have helped this film a lot, though admittedly the novelty of the situations sell and forgive a lot.

Also, in a few cases, the acting is a bit stilted and forced, but not too often.

If I saw this as a Hollywood movie, I’d probably be upset. As an indie, it shines, even though it’s rough around the edges. It’s a bit too feel-good for my edgy style, but it’s a good simple drama that has a few payoffs. It’s also relatable, which means that while it might not be good for me, it might be great for a broad audience.

• For more information on "An Uzi at the Alamo" visit its official website:
  http://www.anuziatthealamo.com/

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