Tax Day

Roommates Irene and Paula decide to take a walk to the post office on a nice spring day to mail her tax return. On the way the two get sidetracked into taking a canoe ride through the city and much further away from their destination. As they make their way back they have a series of comic and mildly bizarre encounters.

There's a nice off beat opening in Tax Day that sustains one third of the way into the film before the story becomes top heavy with filler that lengthens but does not advance the narrative. It is a lazy day film that suffers from lazy story editing that is all too willing to dwell on striking imagery and scenes of a surreal nature that are a stretch to connect.

Director Laura Collela does a fine job of filming Providence,RI giving it at times a futuristic look. The tracking shots down the river provide the film with a real grace. She also gets fine performances from Kathleen Monteleone and Donna Sorbello who play Irene and Paula. Forty something, they are contentedly jaded and layed back enough to deal with the days surprises. One just wishes that Collela had devoted more time to developing their characters rather than wearing out the welcome of the handful of gem like scenes that should meld instead of disjoint the story. Tax Day is a game effort that runs out of gas before the finish but not before displaying a couple of flashes of brilliance.

Like many movies filmed in Rhode Island, Tax Day has gotten mixed reviews from its audience. While half the room will agree that Tax Day is the greatest "Art" movie to come out of Rhode Island, the other half of the room will agree to walk out of the room and watch a different movie.

Tax Day is an independent movie that you need to view twice to get the hidden political message that director Laura Colella was trying to tell her audience. Film is one of the most amazing vehicles that the world can use to not only entertain its audience but to educate as well. Students around the world will tell you that the best teachers are the ones who entertain while they teach. "A spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down." It is this reason that the film fails in its message to many of the people in the audience. The reason for this is the movie's lack of entertainment value compared to a movie with more action, comedy, better acting, etc.

Tax Day is a good movie, but is far from a great movie. Then again, like many pieces of art, the film is unique and stands alone in a genre of its own. Even though I am not a fan of this movie, I believe it is one of the best "Art" movies ever made in Rhode Island.

"Tax Day" shows this young woman's lyrical visual eye and dedication to making movies that express her own voice, rather than pander for one instant to the imperatives of marketing. Watch for her in the future because she'll only get better!