VULCANIZADORA is one of those rare films that latches onto you effortlessly before you even know you have been lured in. The breezy, meandering narrative begins as friends Martin (Joshua Burge) and Derek (Joel Potrykus) trudge aimlessly into the the wiles of Michigan. We don’t know where they are headed, and frankly, it doesn’t seem as if they know either. Derek fills the silence with endless chatter while Martin suffers the yammering in silence. It turns out that the two are on a mission. They have a goal and as their sojourn through the rural landscape progresses,  motivations, reasons, and the very demons they are fleeing reveal themselves.

Martin is more determined than Derek to get where they are going. It’s when Derek is caught tying ribbons to trees along the way that we realize Martin has no intention of returning home. Their journey is a one way trip. But where are they going? What are they doing? Furthermore, why do they rehearse lighting M-80’s and other handmade explosives? Potrykus writes and directs a film that lives in the liminal spaces between words and actions to decipher the real story. Derek is a failed father that hasn’t seen his 4 year old son in some time, while Martin is weighted with immense guilt over his past. While society has either forgiven or ignored either of them for their failings, the consciences torment them. The answer that the two frustrated 40-somethings land on is to commit one last act of finality.

One of the things that really makes VULCANIZADORA work is the chemistry between Burge and Potrykus. While the latter has the lion’s share of dialogue, with his breathy, nervous delivery, Burge uses his expressive face to deliver his responses for the most part. He reminded me of Buster Keaton who could deliver a speech without a single word of dialogue.

Shot on lush 16 mm film by Adam J. Minnick, the movie pulses with life. There are some beautiful, long shots of the pair of miscreants making their way through the forest that are maximalist in framing while keeping the action, and Derek’s nervous talking, at center. In a way, it’s a bit of a metaphor for the two men who desperately hope to find that they are of consequence somehow. In true indie fashion, writer, director, and star Potrykus also cuts the film together. His overall touch gives VULCANIZADORA a quiet wit and observation that reaches levels of insight that make you uncomfortable. Think Todd Solondz but with just a little more warmth and not so dark.

What is our life if not acknowledged in some way by others? VULCANIZADORA explores this idea but serves it with a caustic understanding of the sometimes desperate behavior of humans. This is a satisfying psychological comedy delivered with almost painful perspicacity.