DETECTIVE FICTION A film review by Steve Rhodes Copyright 2003 Steve Rhodes RATING (0 TO ****): ** 1/2
In DETECTIVE FICTION, by writer, director and star Patrick Coyle, Jack Webb (Coyle) is a technical writer for dental software by day and a detective novelist by night -- or at least he has been since he gave up his life-long addiction to alcohol. He started drinking at age 12 and never stopped until a year ago.
Jack's life is the pits, but he has been trying to turn it around. He is attempting to mend his relationship with Jennifer (Mo Collins), his wife of fifteen years. Lately she has been seeing Elliot (Brent Doyle), a college hunk who is almost young enough to be her son. Jack has been making some heavy eye contact lately with Leslie (Sarah Agnew), the leader of his AA support group, but he has never cheated. When he confesses this old-fashioned fidelity, Leslie's shocked.
Although this might sound like a story you've heard a hundred times before, what saves it is what is going on in Jack's head. In voice-over, we hear his pot boiler taking shape. The deliciously bad dialog he envisions somehow works in the context of the rest of his life. He and Jennifer also have some simple, but intriguing, erotic dreams that spice up the show's very limited action.
The movie shows how shallow the whole idea of illicit affairs can be. In one of the most provocative scenes, Jennifer confronts Elliott, demanding to know why they are seeing each other since they don't talk and have so little in common. It takes Elliott quite a while to figure out his unconvincing answer.
DETECTIVE FICTION is as slow as molasses, but it creates a strong mood and has believable characters. Well, except for Elliott. If the college professors don't flunk him, they're not doing their jobs.
DETECTIVE FICTION runs 1:24. It is not rated but would be PG-13 for sexual situations and would be acceptable for teenagers.
The film is being shown as part of San Jose's Cinequest Film Festival (www.Cinequest.org), which runs February 27 to March 9, 2003.
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