Finder's Fee

I saw this film last year at the Saugatuck Film Festival (and even got to meet the stars of the film Robert Forster, Dash Mihok, and Erik Palladino), and loved every minute of it. The place was sold out and everyone at the theater loved it.

What would you do if you found a wallet containing a winning lottery ticket worth $6 million? That's how the movie is set up in this fast paced film with great acting. James Earl Jones is great as always, Robert Forster has a small but memorable role, but I was very surprised that Matthew Lillard did such a good job in the movie. But the obvious star of the movie is the script. Written and Directed by Jeff Probst, there are so many great plot twists that keep you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens next. You won't believe some of the things you discover when watching this movie.

If you can find this movie somewhere, I highly recommend it.

**** out of ****

Despite the fact that this movie takes place in one location, it does not drag or get boring - that in and of itself is a HUGE accomplishment! I thought the story was great how it put the main character into a sticky situation. All the characters had distinct personalities, which kept their conversations entertaining. The psychological suspense was strong. It's a movie wrought with tension. I applaud an indie filmmaker (Jeff Probst) for pulling off a good movie on a budget that is tiny compared to the studio budgets.

If you liked it, watch the director's commentary. Jeff Probst is very open about the process and how this film came into fruition (before he got his Survivor gig, by the way).

If you are looking for an indie film with some humor, psychological suspense, and good acting, check out this film.

To the person from Saskatchewan. "Would you put a (expletive) sock in it!" was what Palladino yelled. Heard it the first time and wasn't even paying attention that closely. Guess it got lost in the NYC/Regina translation. Although none of the 4 friends were raised anywhere remotely near NYC based on their generic handling of the dialog. Otherwise, my main problem with the flick is that Tepper should have made a much better effort to recover his girl's losing ticket. At least his ruse could have gone on longer. Since lots of people play the same numbers, he would have been smarter not to replace the ticket with another, but then again, we wouldn't have had a movie...

The whole scenario is contrived and predictable. This independent feature has a relatively well-known cast who do an adequate job with a one-act play concocted as if it were a two-week writing assignment from James Lipton (and it might have impressed HIM). Unconvincing, unenlightening, turgid little melodrama on modern ethics and greed. Simpleminded stuff.

THREE STARS - 82 out of 100 - 'Finder's Fee' is a Mamet-like conundrum about a winning lottery ticket and the role it plays in a friendly weekly poker game amongst friends. Jeff Probst, of Survivor fame, wrote and directed this film on a miniscule budget of $1,000,000. He does a fantastic job for a first time filmmaker. The film moves along swiftly, never leaving time for you to check your watch. There are some really tense moments that will have your pulse racing, which is pretty impressive for a film that takes place almost entirely inside one apartment. The only thing that fails the film is the drastic overacting from some of the supporting players.

Palladino does a great job in the lead role as the young man, on the verge of proposing to his girlfriend, who finds a wallet on the rain soaked streets of New York. Inside the wallet is a winning lottery ticket worth in excess of $6,000,000. After a phone call to the only phone number in the wallet, James Earl Jones shows up to claim it.... sans the $6 mill. Both Palladino and Jones are very good here. And Carly Pope has a small role that deserves some praise.

However, what really derails the film is the performances of Matthew Lillard, Ryan Reynolds and Dash Mihok. The main culprit is Lillard, who obscenely overacts his part every chance he gets. The man is truly incapable of subtlety in any performance and it is most notable here. This is an obnoxious distraction and it overshadows the many things that are so right about this film. Reynolds and Mihok are forgivable, although they both have some truly awful moments that will make you cringe with embarrassment for them.

I am still giving the film a solid recommendation... the story is original and tense, and the screenplay is very crafty. Probst easily does enough to merit a career as a director... he should get more work in this field as soon as Mark Burnett releases him from his island-hopping duties! If only the supporting cast had not tried so hard to steal the film from Probst and the two main leads, this would have been a small treasure. As it stands, 'Finder's Fee' is a good little film that will serve as an enjoyable rental. -- Critical Mass Movie Reviews - www.tccandler.com