| March 22, 2002- |
The Austin Chronicle - SXSW Review "Poncho Ramirez's padded jock flopped. His name - which once graced the back pocket of every woman's too tight jeans - has become a punchline. That's when Grindy Malone, small town, starry-eyed ingénue, lands a job with Poncho Ramirez and turns that sucker around. Sure, it takes a little fraud and deception, but this is fashion, after all - fraud and deception are their bread and butter. Writer/director Michele Maher, who gathered her ammunition working in New York fashion houses, has made a broad but fairly pedestrian satire of America's real Evil Empire. Garmento's gags are amusing but dated (Poncho Ramirez reminded me most of Calvin Klein, with comic bits about the over-the-top controversial ad campaigns and marketing Poncho's name as his initials, PR), and the story itself - good girl seduced by bad people - isn't much. Still, the fashion world could use a few solid punches, and every once in a while, Garmento lands a good one." - Sarah Hepola" |
