EXPIRED
RYAN: “Expired” is a new movie starring Samantha Morton and Jason Patric.
CAROLINE: Don’t forget Teri Garr in a dual role playing twin sisters. She’s a little heavy these days.
RYAN: I sort of enjoyed this movie. It’s about three very unfortunate people.
CAROLINE: I found it incredibly depressing. I like Samantha Morton; I’ve always thought she’s a great actress. And it was cool to see Jason Patric again because he hasn’t done much lately. But the story is just such a bummer. I’d heard it was a romance but it’s really bittersweet, and after about 15 minutes when I realized where the movie was headed, I literally started to feel depressed.
RYAN: You hate Jason Patric in this movie because his character is such an ass. He reminds me of some people I’ve dated, and not in a good way. Even though it’s sad that there are people out there who are like that, this movie is a real slice-of-life film, so it might make you feel better about your own life, and compassionate toward mean people like him and victim-types like Samantha Morton’s character.
CAROLINE: She plays a sad sack meter maid and she’s a very frustrating character. I really wanted her to deal with herself and her life, but she’s just incapable of it. She also has the most unfortunate hair I’]ve ever seen in a movie, and I kept trying to figure out if she’d actually shaved back or tweezed her hairline.
RYAN: The only person with worse hair in a movie was Judi Dench in “Notes on a Scandal.”
CAROLINE: In some scenes, it looked like she went to the salon with my grandmother and got a permanent, and it others, she was trying to make a ponytail with what little hair she had and it was tragic.
RYAN: I don’t understand why she kept pinning it up! When it was done, it actually looked normal. It’s just terrible.
CAROLINE: Basically, her character is just one of life’s losers and she lives with her mom.
RYAN: Yes, but I commended her for that because her mom was in a wheelchair and couldn’t take care of herself. But as a result, she’s a woman who never learned how to have an adult relationship or fend for herself. Then enter a man who’s anti-social and mentally ill as her love interest, and it goes from bad to worse.
CAROLINE: The acting was good and I liked parts of the story; and as the movie went on, I kept hoping the circumstances would improve, but they don’t. I liked Illeana Douglas as her friend though.
RYAN: It’s a good script and I liked the performances, but it’s a little too long. They could have shaved off 15 minutes. At one point, I was like, “Let’s wrap it up,” but then it kept going. It actually got good after that, but there was a definite lull.
CAROLINE: For sure. It’s a very small, indie movie that really only needed to be 90 minutes.
RYAN: Bottom line?
CAROLINE: I definitely don’t think this is a must-see on the big screen. I enjoyed the performances, but don’t go in expecting an uplifting story.
RYAN: It’s a fine film with some interesting shots and a good story. But it’s sad and unfortunate, so if you want a glimpse of that, fine; just prepare to be bummed out when it’s over.