Georg Csarmann
This is a lovely romantic comedy that offers us a joyful look at our world. If you didn’t catch it during the Tribeca Film Festival’s Online Showcase, good humor and very likable characters played by Rich Sommer (Mad Men) and Amy Smart (The Butterfly Effect) make this film a worthwhile viewing. Mr. Stache was the winner of the American Express My Movie Pitch Competition where filmmakers were given the opportunity to pitch their idea for a short film in a video statement, with the selected winner then made into an actual movie. To paraphrase the pitch by John Nash and the first lines in the short film, Mr. Stache is movie about a man who grows a mustache, but nobody likes his mustache, but then he meets a girl, and they both grow a mustache.
The film is about finding acceptance in other people by staying true to yourselfa common topic redone with a fresh dose of hipster originality. After being judged by his friends, family and colleagues, the Man keeps his mustache after meeting the right girl who loves him just the way he is. When the tables turn and the Man discovers the Girl has an oddity of her own that she’s hiding, he has to decide whether or not he can return the understanding. Needless to say, if you love mustaches, this film will push you to the limit of that love.
You might have noticed how often I used the word mustache, and although it was kind of necessary to describe the story, I also wanted to borrow some of the charming spirit of John Nashs pitch, which you can watch here. John Nash is a likable, offbeat guy not unlike the movie itself. Written and directed by Jac Schaeffer, the original pitch was developed into this special film proving that all you need to create something entertaining and beautiful is a compelling idea.
(editors note: Mr. Stache is currently in the YouTube Screening Room with 7 additional Tribeca shorts not featured in the 2011 Online Showcase)