Closing the Deal

Art Altounian pulls together a great cast of characters for this romantic comedy with a twist. Not a huge twist, but enough of one that you understand why it would be difficult for the couple you want to end up together to end up together. I enjoyed every minute of the film. The dialog is snappy and humorous, and the characters go far beyond stereotype and into depth, a feet well accomplished for this first time director. The acting is all fantastic, and while the situation becomes almost unbelievable, Art reels it in and acknowledges the absurdity, making it all believable again. Well done. The only disappointment here is that it's not shot on film, however you quickly ignore the interlace flicker as your sucked in by the story.

Before you know it, you are sucked into this dramedy about a father and son who seemingly have very little in common but, unbeknownst to one another, have fallen for the same girl. Additionally, the supporting players, notably the girl's best friend/business partmer and the son's roommate, are particularly strong, however the big kudos here belong to Kelli Coleman and Michael Bergin for crafting the credible evolution of a modern love story. Kelli is as charming as she is beautiful on screen while Michael is endearing and natural. Mr. Altounian has a clear directing hand and uses his talents well here - his deftness with comedy shows through - some of the shooting/cutting is quite inspired, and though I will not mention anything to spoil it - my favorites include a basketball game scene and an hilarious supermarket scene with a midget and a motorcycle.