From the deep historical well of lovable loser movies comes "Marlo Lasker," a film and a character with all the historical trappings of classic, ageless nerddom: From fanny pack to absurdly rolled-up jeans, this is a young man channeling equal parts "Napolean Dynamite" and "Revenge of the Nerds," and doing it in a way that's as over-the-top and as goofball as it is endearing.

Rich Rotella is behind the lens as director, and in front of it as Marlo. The character is a terrific shambles from the get-go, tripping over himself with all the exaggerations of the discombobulated while leaving a buffet of prerequisite catastrophes in his wake. That said, Marlo annoyingly but lovingly draws you in with his unwitting buffoonery, and soon enough, we know he'll bypass the bullies on his collision course with attractive women - the validating encounter for the socially awkward male ever since John Hughes' wonderful "Weird Science."

There's so much that's warmly and attractively familiar about "Marlo Lasker," yet there's an uplift and an indie methodology that makes this update of a time-tested vehicle something all its own. Highly recommended grass roots comedy. - Was this review of use to you? If so, let me know by clicking "Helpful." Cheers!