There's no question that Roger Kabler is a startlingly gifted impersonator, with a repertoire that runs from John Travolta and Robert De Niro to Robin Williams and Richard Dreyfuss, but this independently produced film is little more than an excuse to string together Kabler's routines. "Based on" Kabler's experiences, the fictionalized story follows the breakdown of comedian and impersonator Bobby Roos (Kabler) as his career (he once starred in his own sitcom and appeared on The Tonight Show) reaches a nadir of beating up hecklers in seedy nightclubs. Shot on digital video, director John Feldman's Who the Hell Is Bobby Roos? touches on the disturbing near insanity of a man who increasingly cannot interact with others except in character--the subplot in which he gets involved with an attractive young woman but can only relate to her as "De Niro" is appropriately creepy--but it never fully engages us in Roos himself, who is frankly more interesting when he's lost in his impersonations than he is as himself (somewhat contrary to the film's admonition that the artist shouldn't let himself be too subsumed by his art). Ultimately, this is a showcase for Kabler's talents, but it lacks the stronger story required to make it an interesting feature film. Optional. [Note: DVD extras include "Sideshow" video footnotes, a movie-trivia game, and a DVD-ROM "Wacky 8-Ball" feature presented by Kabler's many alter egos. Bottom line: the extras here only reinforce the impression that the film is little more than a showcase for Kabler.] (M. Johanson)
Who the Hell Is Bobby Roos?
Hummingbird Films, 93 min., not rated, DVD: $17.99 Volume 19, Issue 6
Who the Hell Is Bobby Roos?
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