The Incredible Jake Parker

This review is about a work by a friend of mine, Angelo Thomas. He and I have had a bit of history, despite not meeting in person (yet). We're at a point where it's safe to say we respect each other.

The Incredible Jake Parker is a film Angelo has produced on a shoestring budget, the story initially being written as a book, then making a pretty painless transition to a screenplay.

Jake Parker (Liam Wall) shoots from a kid on YouTube to a viral star to a pop sensation, the whirlwind of change in Jake's life often leaving him struggling to take control of his life again. Jake becomes anorexic, and his agent Cat (Sasha Jackson) sends him to a clinic.

If this was a big Hollywood production, it'd be played up for high drama, probably some secondary character would either die or be in a critical condition in a hospital, while we'd get a ton of phoned in celebrity cameos. In this way, I think it's to Jake Parker's benefit that it was produced on a small budget. Rather than try to go for high drama, it keeps its eyes on the very real issues that people who deal with eating disorders face. Characters talk about their struggles and work through them. It keeps the movie grounded and real.

The film is short at about 74 minutes. While there's quite a story, it's not dragged out. Performances are capable, with a few small cameos by news and internet personalities. There's no A-listers here, but that doesn't mean anyone's phoning it in. The songs are well-performed by Liam Wall in character as Jake.

This is a film that deserves to be seen and appreciated, tackling an issue not often touched on: eating disorders and how they affect men as well as women. It's available on Vimeo to stream worldwide, while Angelo is also selling a run of DVDs.