THE OFF HOURS

It’s really tough trying to relate or warm to a movie where every character bar one is so depressed. and this is one such case even though it really is not a bad wee film.

It’s set in a small town diner where Francine a bored young unmotivated waitress works the night shift.  Business is very slow and so to fill her time she has ‘quickies’ in the bathroom with her foster brother’s friends.  Then one day she meets a Oliver truck driver who’s a cut above the rest and a rather desperate Francine reads more into his friendliness and makes a pass at this happily marred man who seemingly is the first one to turn her down.

Around Francine all the other characters have their own issues in what seem like a series of vignettes.  Her recovering alcoholic boss is back on the booze and when drunk makes an error of judgment that costs him visiting rights with his estranged teenage daughter. The embittered older waitress that does the day shifts seems to combine her very regular trips to the Laundromat with having sex with the boss (well, as long as she still has to wait for 10mins for the dryer cycle to finish!). Francine’s doe-faced foster brother admits that he is envious of his friends who she sleeps with and that he has been in love with her all along.

But amidst all this unhappiness in a story that basically goes nowhere, there is something to like.  Maybe the very strong performance by Amy Selmitz as Francine, and the chemistry with a very likeable Ross Partridge as Oliver …. or simply the way they filmed the night light to make it so visually stunning?

I wouldn’t rush out to see this one, but nevertheless I’m kind of glad that I did manage to view it as it still resonates with me know as I write this Blog.

★★★★★★