This review has been ‘repurposed’ from my other site, theOneliner.com
So, phone sex, then. That might not be the easiest way to break you into this story, but that’s the primary theme here so if you find that in any way, shape, or form as edgy or provocative as the promotional blurb seems to think it is then you might want to give this a body swerve.
The softer, gentler way to introduce this to you would be to talk about two brothers on something of a road trip, elder brother Davy Mitchell (Brian Geraghty) on a book tour, attempting to flog his collection of short stories as he goes, with Sean (Kel O’Neill) along for the ride hoping to for shits, giggles, or some combination of the two.
While this might not be the Kerouacian adventure they were hoping for, it’s enlivened for Brian at least when he receives a phone call out of the blue while lounging in his motel room one day. On the other end is Nicole, and she’s all hot and bothered. In the biblical sense, not saying that she had been on the Stepmaster TM. This encounter ends in one ruined sock and a promise to repeat it again.
Lo, that’s what happens, the two eventually sharing more than descriptions of their bodily fluids. However, to Brian’s consternation, it’s apparently never going to result in any non-telephonic ugly bumping. Indeed, with Nicole even refusing to give out her telephone number, it would seem that the only place this relationship is going is nowhere. Should he keep up with this long distance monkey spanking or go ahead and find a nice local, actually touchable girl to attempt another dysfunctional relationship with?
So as with all relationships, there are trials and tribulations and so on and so forth, which can make for interesting and entertaining drama. Traditionally, you’d have two faces to look at while doing so. This does not. This might seem like an interesting idea. It doesn’t translate so well to reality.
It’s a big ask of young actor Brian Geraghty, to essentially carry the entire film and do a good chunk of two people’s emoting, and it’s a shade beyond what he’s capable of. It doesn’t help that the main character might be written as a flawed, sensitive artist type, but just comes across as a weak, annoying guy with a dodgy beard which really makes it hard to root for him.
As such, when the film winds up for it’s final act haymaker the impact is entirely deadened by simply not being remotely interested in any character on show. I believe this film had been adapted from a magazine article, of all things, and its curtailed origins translate into a film with a great deal of filler that does little to further its cause. It’s not entirely unenjoyable filler, but by the time the credits rolled there seemed to be little point to it all.
It’s a bit sparse and a bit dull. Oh, sorry, ‘edgy and provocative’. That’s what I meant to say. Same difference, really.