by Jon Partridge
There were “awws” as you’d expect, emanating from the audience as they witnessed a film centered around one of the most adorable kittens to ever grace our screens. But there were also plenty of laughs, as you’d probably expect from the debut feature film from Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, which they brought to SXSW as a “work in progress” screening this weekend.
The film opens with a gunfight. Two mysterious men shoot up a drug lab, the only survivor being a gang member’s kitten, who after a journey through the city ends up on the doorstep of Rell (Jordan Peele), a man dealing with a recent breakup who forges a bond and finds new hope in his new feline companion. After returning home one evening with his cousin Clarence (Keegan-Michael Key) he discovers his apartment broken into and Keanu gone, taken by criminals who mistook his place for his pot-dealing neighbors. Thus they begin a quest to rescue Keanu, one which leads to a case of mistaken identity and their assuming the persona of two infamous killers as a way to enamor themselves with a drug gang. Only by working with them and digging themselves ever deeper into the criminal underworld of LA can they bring Keanu home.
Essentially, the kitten serves as the MacGuffin of the film, a device to serve and advance the plot. Sure there are some adorably gleeful sequences of Keanu, ranging from shooting a “kitty calendar” for his owner to an impressively choreographed slow motion set piece as dueling gangs shoot up a drug lab. But the focus of the film is on the “fish out of water” aspect of Rell and Clarence’s journey through this seedier world. It’s a plot that allows for plenty of laughs but occasionally feels a little one-note as it forms a thread that runs the entire length of the film. When Keanu pushes past this into some crazier sequences or by paying homage to other genres it takes on another level of energy. The “work in progress” presentation also offers hope that other issues with pacing and meandering side plots could be tightened up. Overall director Peter Atencio does himself a great service as the film often veers into Hot Fuzz-esque moments as it pays homage to various action films of the ’80s & ’90s such as Point Break, Heat, New Jack City, and Scarface.
Key and Peele work their usual examination of racial stereotypes into he film as they are forced to assume a more “macho” and “gangster” personality, think ramping up usage of expletives and the N-word (the latter does get a healthy workout here). Their writing and performances keep the main duo both relatable and real, much of the laughs coming from their attempted improvisations to fit in with their new gangster brethren. It’s not just a journey for these men to be reunited with their kitten but to also be reunited with their masculinity in a way. While both are onscreen together for the majority of the film they don’t hold back in populating the film with a number of more colorful characters played by a host of notable names. None I shall spoil here, but it is one of the more enjoyable aspect of the film seeing who will pop up next.
Keanu isn’t the instant classic many had hoped for, but if you brace yourself for less “kitty action” than you’d expect, you’ll find it far more enjoyable. Much of the film remains an extension of Key and Peele’s past work, playing with stereotypes and clashes of culture from which they craft a lot of humor. Coupled to an endless stream of colorful supporting characters, surprisingly great action set pieces, then throw in the most adorable kitty you ever will see, and perhaps the best use of George Michael’s music ever, and you’ve got a puurfectly solid feature debut for the comedy duo.