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Where There's a Will (TV)
R1 - America - Echo Bridge Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Pat Pilon (16th October 2006). |
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The Film
 After a small, silly, but necessary cinematic device, the movie runs pretty well, untroubled and smooth ride. It's light and playful, and very inoffensive. That doesn't mean it's not enjoyable, though, as it's quite cute. Frank Whaley, an LA conman goes to take care of Marion Ross, his ailing grandmother, in small-town Texas. Throw in a mob guy and a debt, and you can see where this is going. Though the movie takes exactly the steps you'd expect, the movie has no pretensions of being bigger than it is. It wants to entertain and it does. All the plot points come and go, without director John Putch making too much out of them. There's no forced comedy and no pushed drama. What's there is there and that's it. This may make the movie feel simple and unfulfilling, but I personally enjoy the fact that it doesn't extend its own bounds. The movie is nothing big, but it keeps you entertained. The comedy is sweet and you'll laugh a few times. After the movie is over, you're not overly emotional, but you're glad you watched the movie. During the running time, I was never bored and, though I knew where everything was going, I wanted to see how it happened. The cast (though not stellar) was capable and the director kept everything together. It's a cute movie and nothing else.
Video
1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. The picture is good, and for a TV-movie, it looks quite nice. The colours are strong and clean. The picture does have some problems when the storm comes, with all the rain and lightening. Other than that, the compression is pretty good, with no real big blurry or murky spots. The level of detail is good enough for most people. It's a nice picture.
Audio
The only audio track is an English Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo track and it's an adequate one. The only real important thing in this movie is the dialogue. It's clear and distinct and not muffled. The score and sound effects also come out clearly. It's missing surround and bass elements, but then again, the movie doesn't really ask for them. It's a nice track, but nothing more.
Extras
The special features are only a pair of interviews, 'A Tough Nut - An Interview with Marion Ross' (8:35) and 'Con Man with a Heart of Gold - An Interview with Frank Whaley' (5:06), and they're just fluff pieces, with one or two bits of information. They talk about their characters and the movie and the other actors, but nothing more. There are also start-up trailers for 'Running with a Hitman', 'The Ten Commandments' mini-series.
Overall
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