100 Mile Rule

Rating:
Summary: Please don't read the plot summary
Review: I am delighted to have the opportunity of being the first person to review this straight-to-video film. I am delighted because I can hopefully influence a few folk to buy or rent this flick *without* having to know the plot, or at least all its twist and turns, ahead of time. You see, I believe that we have ruined our movie-going experiences by too *many* reviews, or at least too many reviews of the type that give away the whole plot. In the old days, when people turned up at their local movie house on a semi-regular basis to see the "feature", they did not know the whole plot before they even sat down. All they usually knew was who the stars were and the genre of movie.

This is the way I saw 100 Mile Rule for the first time. Knowing nothing about the film at all. It was showing at a film festival, and the film just happened to be showing at a time and place that was convenient to me and my friends. I just sat down and let the filmmaker spin his yarn around me. That is the way I hope you'll see it too.

Let's just say that this is a movie consisting of excellent performances by Jake Weber and Maria Bello ("Auto-Focus", "The Cooler")and the irrepressible Michael McKean turning in a superb performance in a role that could have been a Jack Nicholson role. Also David Thornton, Cyndi Lauper's husband and a former alternative rock musician, in an unforgettable role as a wild-haired "unhelpful" fellow auto parts salesman to the lead character.

Let's also say that 100 Mile Rule is well-directed by Brent Huff and features equal parts of humor, drama and suspense. The film, like Tin Men, captures perfectly the world that most of us live in: working dry jobs, eating crow from your boss, trying to "turn the corner" financially, juggling the family flamed batons of Kids, Sex and Finances but having to deal-day-to-day with less than savory co-workers. And, oh yes, the temptations of the flesh which make a playground upon our suburbia-addled minds. Male motive, in all its ugliness, is splayed open for our inspection here.

A thrilling ride and a mind-bender from start to finish, sit back and enjoy this film and the fine actors at work here.