October 22: una storia di ordinaria follia

October 22 was fairly entertaining and has a few funny moments and this is also a ''shortcuts kind of movie''. It was trying to tell a story from the start until the last 15 minutes and I was asking myself how will it end?, what moral will I receive from this movie?. The ending was completely stupid, ruining everything that the movie was hardly trying to tell. Let me say it without spoiling the end: It was really violent. Overall, a movie that could have been good without this really awful ending........5/10

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this film. This movie focused on one day in the lives of several Los Angeles residents. None of the main characters lead extraordinary lives so I could relate to almost all of them on a personal level. I thought it was so clever how the characters in the different storylines unconsciously passed each other, either on the street, in a bank or at the store without knowing that later that day they would all share in a horrific life altering experience. I absolutely loved the storyline surrounding Carol (played by Donna Murphy). Carol is a middle aged, jilted woman, whose husband dumped her for his younger, surgically enhanced secretary. I thought Tate Donovan did a fabulous job as a typical, young fast talking businessman, who spent his day trying to woo a beautiful woman he met outside his office. I also thought Michael Pare, who played a down on his luck factory worker, did a wonderful job. It really bothered me to see this particular actor play such a dismal, almost pathetic character, I found myself wishing I could help him. The movie progressed fast and the climatic ending had a surprising twist, which I liked. I did not come out of this movie with a joyous feeling, but I definitely got a lot out of it, life is short, make the best of it.

This movie is first and foremost about people. If there is a message to be learned it is you never know how you react under stress until something comes along to test you. People we assume one thing about end up as much different by films end.

A great independent film that shows why indy films are made.

OCTOBER 22 is one of those quiet, small films that disappears if you blink. When visiting Canada, I saw it on cable, and was taken aback, to be honest. As the film begins, it looks like a made-for-Lifetime-for-Women-Network movie. Character developments are deliberately paced, making the film appear normal, linear, milquetoast if you will. But an intangible shadow seems to lurk over the movie, becoming more recognizable as the story progresses. The ensemble cast of seemingly unconnected characters moves forward and seemingly closer to each other, though the viewer does not really know why, until the final moments.

The standout storyline -- and standout acting, for that matter -- comes from Amanda Plummer and Ernie Hudson, two actors known for their offbeat performances (Plummer in PULP FICTION, BUTTERFLY KISS; Hudson in GHOSTBUSTERS, THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE). Hudson plays a reclusive, socially-challenged boy trapped in a man's body who has a crush on his neighbor, played by Plummer. She is the neighbor that doesn't turn a blind eye/deaf ear to him when he greets her. He is completely smitten with her; her introverted personality is a calling card to him. But when things go amiss, get too close for comfort... well, you'll have to see the movie to discover the devastating consequences of her unintentional actions, the butterfly ripple-effect personified.

Michael Pare (yes, Michael "STREETS OF FIRE" Pare) also makes a noteworthy appearance as a down-on-his-luck factory worker. His kinship with the bottle (and a short fused temper) land him out of the frying pan and into the fire, over and over again. There is a saying: "Man looks in the abyss... there's nothing staring back at him... at that moment, man finds his character... and that is what keeps him out of the abyss." This Nietsche paraphrase (originally spoken in Stone's WALL STREET), describes Pare's character arc perfectly.

This movie is certainly not an epic, nor a classic -- but it is a solid movie with enough points of interest to make it worth watching. Its closeness, its intimacy, make it cohesive and a curiosity piece. Like JOE'S SO MEAN TO JOSEPHINE, JACK AND JILL, and I'VE HEARD THE MERMAIDS SINGING, it's an obscure Canadian film that will leave an odd impression upon you.

This is exactly why there are indie films... for smaller, dramatic stories that don't fit neatly into one specific genre. But this is an involving, emotional movie full of extraordinarily strong acting from its ensemble cast. It's especially rewarding to see Michael Pare do such a great job, and to see Broadway star Donna Murphy in a motion picture. And I especially loved the score, by UK pop star Midge Ure. I also like seeing Amanda Plummer, Ernie Hudson, and Colm Meaney cast against type, but Tate Donovan delivers the majority of the comic relief in the film, as one might expect from his exemplary sitcom work. Not a theatrical gem, but a classic rental. Too bad there are no extras on the DVD.