By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 2 cats
Director: Sturla Gunnarson
Starring: Andy Jones | Molly Parker | Vicky Hynes | William Hurt
Country: canada
Year: 2002
Running time: 99
IMDB: http://us.imdb.com/Title?0295552
Michael says: “Reaching for the quirky, warm humor of such films as WAKING NED DEVINE and GREENFINGERS, Gunnarson heads for the Maritimes in Canada for this off-beat comedy, that by-and-large fails to get many laughs.
“William Hurt plays Dave, a down-on-his-luck restaurant owner. His wife is working in Washington D.C. while he sits alone in his restaurant, The Auk, in Newfoundland. His only companion is his eccentric neighbor Phonce, who is constantly inventing things as he strives to stay ahead of all the government conspiracies he imagines abound. In order to jumpstart business at The Auk, Phonce suggests they report in a sighting of a very rare breed of duck. At first Dave doesn’t like this plan, but under Phonce’s urgings, he makes the call and before you can say ‘quack,’ he has a restaurant full of birders looking for a bite to eat. Along comes Phonce’s sister-in-law Alice, played by Molly Parker. I wish I could say something about her, but her character is wasted, helping Dave at the restaurant and going through the motions of a smoldering romance.
“It’s a shame the humor is so awkward and silly, and that the filmmakers didn’t want to make an interesting story populated by eccentric characters and let the humor come through more naturally. RARE BIRDS could have been a cute and fun film, instead it lays an egg.” 2 cats
Peg says: “Based on the novel by Edward Riche (who penned the screenplay), this film from Sturla Gunnarsson is, like THE SHIPPING NEWS, the story of a down-on-his-luck guy in the middle of Newfoundland. William Hurt (who seems to be retreading his ACCIDENTAL TOURIST persona) plays Dave Purcell, whose marriage has failed and whose fancy restaurant, the Auk, is going under, despite its bucolic location and dream-list wine cellar. Daves buddy Phonce (Andy Jones) suggests they claim that a rare duck has been spotted near the Auks cliffside setting. The ploy works, and business booms, but then things begin to go awry. A birdwatcher plunges to her death, ornithologists suspect fraud, and Dave finds himself attracted to Phonce’s saucy, mercurial sister-in-law (Molly Parker, somewhat wasted here), whos helping out at the restaurant.
“Several subplots involving Phonce add little but confusion and clichés: a submarine prototype hes invented, several pounds of cocaine he found a dozen years ago on a tanker, and those men in suits who seem to be tailing him. This film hovers between dark comedy and mirthful drama but never lands on either one. The scenery is lovely; the too-perky pseudo-Celtic soundtrack, however, is just plain annoying. RARE BIRDS not only doesn’t soar, it’s not even ready to leave the nest. ”