Room for Rent

They tried but sadly missed the mark badly. Not funny!

Teenager Mitch (Mark Little) Baldwin wins the $3.5 million lotto. Years later, the money is all gone from his crazy ideas and he's living with his parents (Mark McKinney, Stephanie Weir). He's a jobless slacker doing nothing with his life. His father has been forced to retire early and they have to sell the house. Mitch has the idea to clear out the spare room to rent. Carl Lemay (Brett Gelman) is the renter with a secret agenda. Lindsay Ross (Carla Gallo) is Mitch's ex-girlfriend.

This is a comedic idea looking for a way to make it funny. It all centers on Mitch. He's not actually funny. He needs to be the foil to Brett Gelman's wacky creep. Brett does that so well. Carla Gallo almost fixes it by humanizing Mitch. He just needs to be less of an annoying jerk. What this needs is a few flashbacks early in the movie where all his friends are taking advantage of him. He needs to build up some sympathies. He does it over time, but it takes too long. The audience needs to like Mitch more for this to be truly fun.

This movie had some good characters, the story is so-so, but I liked the style or art direction. Very Canadian... but in a good way, not in a "movie of the week" or "hallmark-b.s." kinda way.

I think the person who reviewed earlier "they tried but missed the mark" may not know where the mark is, or whether there is one to begin with, who's mark? his mark? speaking of Mark, Mark McKinney plays Dad in this film and he's great.

It's hardly groundbreaking but a nice little comedy with some good performances and a reasonable few laughs. Passes the time well enough without blowing your mind.

I put this movie on intending to pause it and go and make some dinner after about twenty minutes, but I enjoyed it so much I didn't get my dinner and watched it the whole way through. Hilarious with a hint of sinister.