Ore 11:14 - Destino fatale

I saw this movie at the Florida State University's Seven Days of Opening Nights festival in Tallahassee, Florida. The director, Greg Marcks, is a Florida State film school graduate. I was fortunate to attend a question and answer session with him. His attention to detail is stunning. This is the type of movie where lots of gaffs could occur because the movie is about five stories that eventually come together. I did not notice any gaffs. The movie re-visits previous scenes from a different perspective. By 11:14 pm, all of the events come together. The attention to detail is important because the whole movie must tie together at the end. This movie perfectly ties together.

The acting, dialogue and action sequences are great. It's amazing how well this movie flows. As Mr. Marcks pointed out during the Q&A session, this movie should be seen as a black comedy. The movie is funny. This movie was influenced by "Cops" and other shows that show not-so-intelligent people. But the movie is intelligent. If it weren't, it wouldn't be good. Based on the reaction of the audience, this movie should be well received.

It is 11:14pm, an accident happens. Different people cross paths on the road, and all of them play their part in the accident. The movie tells us the partial stories of each of the parts involved, how the actions of each of them lead to what happens at the beginning and end of the film. The movie is a presented as a puzzle in which all the pieces are assembled when the film ends. A second frozen in time and dissected for the benefit of the viewer.

This is a dark thrilling movie, full of action, with a great mood and tempo, very engaging and never dull. The movie has no pity with its own characters, all of them depicted as mean, nasty, stupid and/or untruthful, deserving of the drama that unfolds during the night. Just some of the secondary characters are neutral or good.

All actors are OK in their respective roles. Two of them especially shine: Hillary Swank, who really nails her role as red-neck shop attendant, and Rachael Leigh Cook is terrific as the nasty Lolita around which all the story, directly or indirectly, revolves.

The movie is entertaining with a round story that will keep you glued to your chair. Its only problem is the mediocrity of the dialogs, and that the characters have no dramatic depth, but, well, you cannot expect depth from a thriller.

I've been following the press on this film from the moment I first read about it.

I've seen several glowing reviews, most recently in Variety, for this film,the actors and the cannot-be-more-than-fresh-out-of-high-school-himself looking Writer/Director, who shared with the audience that his age was somewhere "in the low two digits."

I've been patiently waiting to see "11:14", finally got to while I was in Toronto!! I was one of several hundred packed like sardines into the theater. Fortunately, I did not have to sit on the floor like the rush ticket holders.

It was unbelievable! A sick and twisted tale(5 tales actually) of coincidence, deceit,small town mentality and good(or bad)intentions gone miserably wrong. Hilary Swank is brilliant as a convenience store worker so afraid to lose her job, she opts to chance suffering tremendous injury over practicing a little common sense. Patrick Swayze utilizes his intensity and tendency towards the dramatic to comedically portray the world's most overprotective Father, while Rachael Leigh Cook's character, Cheri, wreaks havoc on Middelton, Anywhere, USA.

The film opens with a car crash, a botched arrest and a few nasty head injuries that set up the film beautifully. Ben Foster, Colin Hanks and Stark Sands turn an otherwise ordinary joyride through town into the most adolescent, gruesome and completely hysterical adventure. Not for the squeamish.

All five stories are meticulously and ingeniously constructed. I, like my fellow audience members, thoroughly enjoyed every bone-breaking, heart-stopping, could-things-get-any-worse-for-these-poor-middle(ton)-Americans moment. Can't wait to see it in the States.

Festival. Based on what I'd read, I was expecting some sort of Tarantino rip-off.

Instead I got run over by a very fast, very clever film. Directed by 27 year old Greg Marcks, the film is populated by up and coming young stars including Colin Hanks and Rachael Leigh Cook. It's actually 5 stories that all take place in a small town in middle America at around 11pm on a random night.

Characters keep running into each other and bad bad things happen, but the stories are all strung together in really clever, often darkly funny ways. The dialog is sharp and real, and Marcks has a real skill with his young cast. There are some really excellent performances, especially by Rachael Leigh Cook, who as the trashy Cherie is just the right combination of evil and desperate.

Although even in her trailer park costume she's breathtakingly beautiful! Also look for Ben Foster, who surprised me with a very realistic performance, after something REALLY bad happens to him. Hanks is also good, as is Shawn Hatosy. I was blown away! And the strangest part of the Premiere screening? It finished at exactly 11:14.

I knew nothing at all about 11:14 when I saw it in the guide of what movie was on next. To be honest I was just going to keep 11:14 on in the background as I was supposed to be doing something more important. But I began to watch it.... and am I glad I did !! The credits haven't even finished rolling as I am writing this review because I thought it was that good.

The plot is supposed to be basic; an incident happens at 11:14pm and it is told from five different perspectives. But oh how it all progresses, ties together, and ends in a very satisfying manner. It reminded me of a cross between 'Memento' and 'Pulp Fiction' and to be honest, I found 11:14 comparable to those above mentioned excellent movies.

The actors themselves were so natural and played the roles so well that there was not one actor that was the 'star'. I can't say enough about this movie. It was clever, witty, funny when necessary, intelligent and excellently casted.

My only gripe was occasionally too many events 'seemed' to happen in the supposed allotted time which made me aware of the time frame more than I probably should. But so saying that it detracts very little and I enjoyed 11:14 immensely. See it, I am sure you will love it too.