Wake Review


WAKE

A film review by Steve Rhodes

Copyright 2009 Steve Rhodes

RATING (0 TO ****): ***

From its opening sequences, Ellie Kanner's WAKE appears that to be headed straight for some black comedy a la HAROLD AND MAUDE, but, since WAKE's writer Lennox Wiseley said at our screening that she had never seen HAROLD AND MAUDE, any parallels are unintentional.

Actually, the movie that WAKE most mimics is that of THE WEDDING CRASHERS with a bit of the creepy KISSED thrown in for good measure. When we meet Carys, she is a dead woman, lying on a table in the preparation room at a funeral home. We watch Carys as Shane (Danny Masterson, "That 70s Show") applies her make-up. What we might not expect is that she isn't dead after all. She is just a girl obsessed with all aspects of the funeral industry. However, she doesn't take her weird proclivities quite as far as Sandra Larson (Molly Parker) did in KISSED. There is no attempt at sexual relations with the deceased.

Bijou Phillips (ALMOST FAMOUS) delivers a consistent and easily likeable performance as Carys. Although she appears in almost every scene, Phillips isn't the star of basically a one-person production. She is surrounded by a large cast that you've seen in many television series, including Jane Seymour ("Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman"), Sprague Grayden ("Jericho"), Kevin Alejandro ("Shark") and David Zayas ("Dexter"). Everyone on the set clearly had a good time, and their fun easily transfers to the audience.

While WAKE is no laugh-riot, it is a film that will have you smiling along with it. The movie starts off with its quirkiest and weirdest scenes, but shortly thereafter switches gears, becoming a more traditional comedy about misconstrued intentions and hidden identities.


Carys, who lost her sister a long time ago, attempts to find consolation by crashing funerals. Actually, we only witness her doing this once, which is at the funeral of Anna. Tyler, Anna's fiancé, wants to know how Carys knew Anna. Of course, Carys has trouble making up the right lie to convince Tyler, but, as Carys's prevarications multiply, she falls in love with him. Ian Somerhalder, the brother who loved his twin sister too much in "Lost", plays Tyler.

"Have you ever had an unusual hobby?" Carys asks Tyler in one of her many failed attempts to extricate herself from her lies. Every time she tries to come clean with him, something gets in her way. Meanwhile, she begins to suspect that all is not right with Tyler. Carys's roommate, the ever-distrustful Lila (Marguerite Moreau, "The O.C."), warns Carys to "expect the worst" from Tyler.

WAKE is a breezy comedy that doesn't ask much of its audience other than relaxing and going with the flow. Although its opening sequence is a bit shocking, the rest of the movie is a more traditional comedy with the enjoyment coming from watching a carefully assembled ensemble cast work together.

WAKE runs a quick 1:37. The film is not yet rated but would probably be PG-13 and would be acceptable for kids around 10 and up.

The film was shown as the opening night film of San Jose's Cinequest Film Festival (www.Cinequest.org), which runs February 25-March 8, 2009.

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Thanks for the review!

Ian Somerhalder, the brother who loved his twin sister too much in "Lost", plays Tyler.

Well...someboooddyy didn't watch Lost. Haha.


Dan Eldon 1970-1993
daneldon.org

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I watched this movie earlier and really, really enjoyed it.

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