We had the chance (after all my classes and mid-term tests, I found a bit of time) to watch “Napoleon Dynamite” this past weekend. Off the bat, you have to have grown up (or at least know a lot about) in the middle-America to appreciate the content of the movie. 
If I hadn’t read anything about the movie, I would called it a waste of time and the crew as Idiots. But then thats like saying people in India still ride on elephants and horses to school and work : sheer Ignorance. Thankfully, I educated myself before watching the movie and I can say now that it was funny, original and creative.
If a 007 flick or a Bourne Identity can be fast, upbeat and thrilling then thats the type of such movies and the characters that play in it. Napolean Dynamite (official site) takes an exact opposite stance given the context of the movie and its characters. Let me borrow the word “The movie is deadpan” from a lot of reviews I had read about this movie. When time, emotions, and music (very minimal) is taken away from the medium, what you get is a raw form of art. You have to be able to understand and experience it before we could appreciate it. I have only begun to comprehend the originality of such movies. If you go by the definition of “Hollywood”, this is not even close. But by the definition of “real story telling as an art form”, bet you got a winner in this. Napolean Dynamite has garnered a cult classic status and no kiddish achievement for young 24 year old writer/director couple.
If Acting is all about emotions, then how would you describe and act characters with almost no emotions? Isn’t silence is a form of music? And to be able to use silence intelligently is not an easy thing. Much in the same lines, To “act” without emotions but only depth of character and conviction is indeed challenging : Jon Heder‘s and most of the crew’s performance is easily a breakthrough.
