By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 2 cats
Director: Mark A. Lewis
Starring: Bill Croft | Chris Gauthier | Howard Siegel | John Callander | John F. Parker | Kurt Evans | Nicki Clyne | Paul Campbell | Peter Outerbridge
Country: canada
Year: 2004
Running time: 96
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0422462/combined
Bruce says: “ILL FATED, a very black tragicomedy, is clever enough to make an audience laugh and I admit I was laughing along with the others. But my laughter made me feel a bit dirty and somewhat of a lesser human being than I would prefer to believe I am. The problem with ILL FATED is the targets for the humor.
“Three friends have grown up together in a small town. Clayton (Chris Gauthier) is fat and retarded and is the brunt of many jokes. Bobby (John Callander) is ignorant and mean; he does outrageous things. Jimmy (Paul Campbell) is smart, tall, dark and handsome and has just gotten Barb (Nicki Clyne) the cutest girl in town pregnant; his dilemma is whether to stay in town and face the music or flee as fast as he can so that he can make something of his life. When Jimmy’s stepfather catches his stepmother in bed with Barry (Bill Croft), a local biker type, Jimmy flees to live with his senile Grandpa, who has helped raise Jimmy ever since his father ran off and his mother died of cancer.
“The film opens with Barry getting out of jail and his wife having to confess that she is pregnant. Barry, dim bulb that he is, thinks that is great news until he realizes, of course, that the child isn’t his. So Bobby has a little sister, a half sister. When Earl hears from his father-in-law that Barry is on the warpath over his wife’s affair, Earl bolts from the table leaving his wife and Jimmy permanently stranded. The town is in for a surprise when Earl returns sixteen years later to check out that which he had selfishly left behind. There are chase scenes and confrontations. Barry is accidentally killed by Earl and everyone learns that Earl is the father of both Jimmy and Barb. Barb kills herself when she realizes her lover is her brother.
“The central philosophical theme of the film is ‘which came first, the chicken or the egg?’ Considering the characters that are pondering the question, we can tell that such thinking is heavy stuff. The film ends on a sentimental note. Jimmy tells Clayton that Clayton is the one who has things figured out. Sentimental note; worrisome thought.
“As a writer and filmmaker, Lewis has a good sense of pace and timing. His sense of humor is definitely over the top. With his talent, let’s hope he directs his energy in more positive directions. The ensemble acting is decent, not remarkable. ILL FATED was shot in rural British Columbia, five hours from Vancouver. 2 cats
“This film was shown at the 2004 Toronto Film Festival”