The Brass Teapot (2012) | Film Review

(Originally published on Letterboxd on Feb 6, 2014) - What would you do if you found a teapot that produced money every time you suffered pain? If you're anything like Alice and John (Juno Tempe and Michael Angarano), you'd go to extreme lengths to obtain endless wealth that stretched far beyond physical pain and extended into potential moral ruin. You know, just like investing in the stock market!

The Brass Teapot is a strange film the tiptoes down the line of comedy and thriller, while never fully embracing either. It tells the story of a young couple--the aforementioned Alice and John--struggling to make ends meet, and altogether underachieving. John is tormented by Alice's ex-boyfriend who keeps trying to get back with her through bullying him, and Alice is haunted by the purity and seeming perfection of her sister's marriage and family. Through it all they seem resilient, determined not to let the other succumb to their own personal fears. But when a car accident results in Alice discovering a little brass teapot with an unusually strong allure, the two lovebirds soon find themselves hurting each other in more ways than one, all in the pursuit of what they think they want: Financial success and stability.

As Alice and John beat and batter each other into new cars, houses, and anything else they could possibly want, it isn't long before they discover there is even more to this teapot than they know, with a history spanning hundreds of thousands of years, destroying the lives of its former owners at every step.

Not everything in The Brass Teapot works. The history of the teapot, while mentioned, is fairly muddled. And the first half of the film builds such a strong case for John being a loser, I couldn't help bit wonder along with everyone else in the film what Alice could possibly see in him. This problem works itself out in the third act, but it takes so long to get there, it kept me from completely buying their relationship for most of them film.

Where The Brass Teapot excells is in its concept. This is a fresh twist on the classic coming of age story. Both characters are dragged through so much mud, I found myself rooting for them to make it, even when I wasn't sure they would. The lessons they learn along the way are both obvious and subtle, and it really forces the viewer to ask themselves how they would handle their situation. An interesting conversation to be sure.

While the film isn't without it's share of problems, it's determination to show its main characters learn about themselves the hard way is refreshing for what is essentially a romantic comedy. Two characters who think they love each other, and are forced to put those thoughts to the test against the familiar temptation of wealth and stability.