Released recently on home video by Singa Home Entertainment, "Irangeles" is an ultra low-budget indie flick from writer/director Michael Keller first released for the film festival circuit all the way back in 2003.

Since 2003, Keller has directed two other films, "Crackpot" and "Defying Gravity," and continues to grow as a filmmaker since this promising debut.

"Irangeles" is the story of a frat boy, Kip (Dan Wells), whose desire to get out of his small town leads him to Los Angeles. When he falls for a Persian girl, Kip finds himself drawn into the often hilarious world of Iranian-American culture.

Played out in a rather zippy 80 minutes, "Irangeles" most benefits from Keller's insightful and often funny screenplay and Keller's ability to film "Irangeles" in such a way that the film's extremely modest $23,000 is only occasionally obvious.

While I never quite bought into the chemistry between Kip and Shani (Shani Rigsbee), both Wells and Rigsbee performed nicely given the film's budget constraints. The rest of the supporting cast, as could be expected from a low-budget indie, is a mixed bag ranging from amateurish to quite promising.

Tech credits, as well, are about what one expects from a film made for $23,000, however, as I previously noted Keller does a nice job of not trying to stretch "Irangeles" beyond what can be done on a modest budget.

"Irangeles" likely has its greatest appeal to those familiar with Iranian culture, including those who can appreciate how it is Americanized in the United States.

A promising debut from a filmmaker who is continuing to make quality films on the independent scene, "Irangeles" is worth a view!

© Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic