BROKEN PICTURE // A FILM REVIEW OF "TAKE CARE"

BY MATEO MORENO

Meet Frannie (Leslie Bibb). She's just been hit by a car and is being taken home to recuperate. She of course lives on a 4th floor walk up and being that she has a pretty shitty friend & an uncaring sister, they allow her to stay there instead of insisting that she stays with them. They also leave her high and dry immediately, not caring to help her out in her time of need. Her ex-boyfriend Devon (Thomas Sadoski) is now rich, has left her, and moved on with his new girlfriend Jodi (Betty Gilpin). So what's a girl to do when her friends and her sister can't help her out? Why blackmail her ex into helping her of course! Thus begins not the plot of a failed sitcom pilot, but the new feature film TAKE CARE Written and Directed by Liz Tuccillo (Sex and the City, the novel He's Just Not That Into You). Buckle up, it's a terribly bumpy ride.

What surprises most about TAKE CARE is how terribly unfunny it actually is. I honestly never laughed once. Tuccillo has crafted an ensemble of truly unlikable characters, starting with the grating and truly annoying lead character of Frannie. The first five minutes you hate her, and just because she eventually stops acting like a jerk doesn't make you start to like her in any way. Thomas Sadoski, so good in The  Newsroom, is bland and flat here. Not that it's his fault; he's saddled with a character without any insteresting character. We're meant to root against his new girlfriend Jodi and call her "jealous" but she's the only person that seems real. Gilpin is also the only actor showcasing charm here. Perhaps Jodi would be less jealous if her boyfriend would stop spending every single night with his ex. Just a thought. Add in a truly stupid subplot about a noisy neighbor (Michael Stahl-David) that disappears for most of the movie and brings nothing to the overall picture.

Other inconsistencies also annoy, like where the hell the Nurse who is supposed to be there every other day disappears to, and why Frannie never learned how to use a phone or a computer to call delivery. Somewhere buried deep in this terrible script is a better directed film, one where maybe Frannie is actually relatable and isn't waiting for a flawed knight to save her or take care of her. Instead, she discovers that she's strong and can take care of herself. And perhaps this version of the movie won't look like it was Directed by a Clerks era Kevin Smith (Sit the camera down and walk away..... forever). Alas, that movie is not what we have. What we have is TAKE CARE, and you're gonna want to give it back this holiday season.

MATEO'S GRADE: F

Written and Directed by Liz Tuccillo

Starring Leslie Bibb, Thomas Sadoski, Betty Gilpin, Michael Stahl-David. CONTENT ADVISORY: Adult Language, Adult Situations

FINAL THOUGHTS: TAKE CARE is truly a rom com that forgot all of the com. Or the rom.

MATEO MORENO is an actor, playwright, and director in New York City. He owns and runs TheArtsWireWeekly.com and has had four of his plays produced, including BOHEMIAN VALENTINE, HAPPILY AFTER TONIGHT, WITHIN OUR WALLS, & LOVES ME LIKE A ROCK. He is currently working with Boomerang Theatre on a short play piece, workshopping a new musical, and spends his days working on the Broadway hit MATILDA.

TRIBECA FILM FEST 2014: IN YOUR EYES

BY MATEO MORENO

It seems as every year goes by, Writer/Director/King of the Slayers Joss Whedon creates a project that further separates him from the pack.  His consistent originality and desire to create new and fresh ideas is a wonderful thing to witness.  At Tribeca this week, we are witnessing the latest tease from the Whedonverse, the surprisingly gripping comedy with romance IN YOUR EYES.  At the beginning of the film, we are introduced to a group of kids amidst some sunny weather. They’re teasing each other and in the middle of a school day.  Then there’s a young girl sledding in some very snowy weather.  As she slides down the hill, heading straight for a tree, the boy thousands of miles away is somehow affected, connected to her in a way he doesn’t know.  Years later the two, now grown, are dealing with their everyday lives very differently.  Zoe Kazan’s Rebecca is now a young, timid woman married to a bullish doctor (Mark Feuerstein) in New Hampshire.  Then there’s Dylan (Michael Stahl-David), who’s charismatic, funny, and currently on parole trying. He’s trying to rebuild his life working at a car wash, and frequently is getting visits from his ex-con buddies, as they attempt to lure him into more trouble. Zoe and Dylan knows that there’s something different about them. They’ve “seen” things they can’t explain. They’ve always known that something is odd in their world, but could never explain it. And then suddenly one day their lives are thrust together, suddenly and surprisingly. They are indeed connected, but how, and how do they deal with it from here?  To give away any more would spoil the sweet pleasures of the film.

Director Brin Hill presents a wonderful vision from Whedon’s screenplay. It’s unusual and different, directed with finesse and a surprising amount of tension. It’s beautifully funny, touching, and wholly original without every becoming coy or cheesy. A large amount of this we can thank the cast for; Zoe Kazan (who appeared in last year’s charming romance The Pretty One) is luminous in her starring role here, easily pulling you into her fragile world that’s suddenly changing around her. Michael Stahl-David is equally as strong in his role of an ex-con who suddenly has something to try and hold onto. Their chemistry, even when not in the same room, is palpable. And they both handle Whedon’s quirky dialogue with ease.  Surprisingly, Whedon announced at the fest that the film will premiere IMMEDIATELY on demand via Vimeo’s On Demand service, so if you can’t make it to a screening, you can watch it within the comfort of your home.  In Your Eyes is a sweet and tender spin on romance between people miles and miles apart, perfectly capturing every crowd from the Nicholas Sparks crowd to Whedon-ites to those who simply want a film that feels “new.”  This certainly fits the bill.

VERDICT: MUST SEE 

Written By: Joss Whedon Directed By: Brin Hill Starring: Zoe Kazan, Michael Stahl-David, Nikki Reed, Mark Feuerstein, Steve Harris, Jennifer Grey. For Tribeca Screenings and more info: TICKETS

BOTTOM LINE: Head over to Tribeca right away, or rent it online at http://inyoureyesmovie.com/ for only $5.00!  Ridiculously enchanting.