"The Guatemalan Handshake" is a hard movie to pin down. Equal parts "Napoleon Dynamite" and Hal Hartley movie, it's an episodic piece of oddball cinema that achieves occasional moments of brilliance.
The most I can say by way of plot is that Donald Turnupseed (Will Oldham) goes missing, and his best friend, a ten-year-old girl cryptically named Turkeylegs (Katy Haywood) seems to be the only one who cares. Also, an old insane woman loses her dog, Donald's pregnant girlfriend Sadie becomes a demolition derby protegee and a ridiculously cool, wedge-shaped orange electric car goes from owner to owner (say what you want about the movie, that car is awesome).
As with "Napoleon Dynamite," the portrait of life in a small, unremarkable American town is dead on. Seedy roller rink? Check. Dying downtown strip? Check. Utter lack of attractive people? State fair as the cultural event of the year? Check and check. Unlike Jared Hess' movie, however, the truly funny moments are few and far between, and the film has a more overall cerebral bent to it, perhaps a little closer to the subtle comedy of Hartley's "Henry Fool" but less intellectual. This works both for and against the film. It puts more of the focus on the composition (which, by the way, is pretty gorgeous), but even stellar cinematography can't make up for dragging stretches, of which this movie certainly has its fair share.
I can't say I disliked "The Guatemalan Handshake." In fact, I think the general feeling is that I liked it. I'm sure there will be audiences out there who will simply adore this film, and call it a work of genius. It may well be. It's just not my type of movie. It may well resonate with some people. It just didn't leave me floored.
Reccomendations (if you like this movie)
Napoleon Dynamite: The dying small town vibe and cast of offbeat characters are a good compliment to the folks you'll see in "Guatemalan Handshake."
Henry Fool: While it doesn't have the same atmosphere as "Handshake," Hal Hartley's lit-cinema film about the transformation of a working-class loner into an acclaimed poet by his mysterious loner mentor has a similar super-smart feel and subtle humor that it takes a certain kind of viewer to recognize.