Lies & Alibis (2004)
Picture: C+ Sound: B- Extras: C- Film: C+
Co-directed
films can often go wrong, but sometimes they work. The 2004 Matt Checkowski/Kurt Mattila film Lies & Alibis (aka The Alibi) is trying to be a comedy
about infidelity and how entrepreneurial Ray Elliot (Steve Coogan) thinks he
can make money by making it easier for couples (especially married ones) to
cheat on each other. Of course, it is an
idea that has its dangers and predictably, chaos ensues.
Though
there is a film, even a comedy that potentially be done with this situation,
this one goes for the obvious as the seemingly loose storylines all ball up (no
pun intended) into a wacky climax that adds up to more of an idiot plot (none
of this would happen if everyone knew what was going on) that anything
half-convincing about relationships or mature adults. Noah Hawley, the writer behind the new TV
show Bones, does writing here that
is as awkward as that series.
Still, it
was an interesting enough script to attract a cast that included Jerry
O’Connell and Jon Polito in cameo roles, Rebecca Romijn, Deborah Kara Unger,
Henry Rollins, James Brolin, Sam Elliott, Sharon Lawrence, James Marsden, John
Leguizamo and Debi Mazar as a detective who surfaces when one of the storylines
lead to murder.
I am not
even certain if the ending works, but you can see it if you are interested,
since it is not horrible and we have seen worse. However, don’t hold your hopes up.
The
anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 image is soft and color-challenged, as shot by
Enrique Chediak, with detail issues despite some good scenes and shots here and
there. A 1.33 X 1 full screen version,
which is awful, is also sadly concluded and might be interfering with the
widescreen version by denying it space. The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is not awful, with
occurrent surrounds throughout. Music by
Alexandre Desplat (The Luzhin Defense,
Syriana, Firewall, The Queen) is
not bad, but it gets as silly as the film eventually does as the music can only
be as good as the narrative. I was
reminded of Get Shorty at
times. As for extras, you only get
previews for other Sony DVDs.
- Nicholas Sheffo
