The Alibi (2006)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Directors:

Matt Checkowski
Kurt Mattila

Writer (WGA):

Noah Hawley (written by)

Release Date:

12 January 2006 (South Korea)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Planning a lunchtime rendezvous or an elicit affair and don't want anyone to find out? Do you need an alibi? Then Ray Elliot is here to help.

Plot:

A man who runs an alibi service for adulterous husbands gets into a jam with a new client. In trying to remedy the situation, he must rely on an alluring woman who gets his heart racing.

Plot Keywords:

Mormon

Cast

Jerry O'Connell	...	Businessman
Jon Polito	...	Jimmy the Photographer
Deborah Kara Unger	...	Dorothy
Steve Coogan	...	Ray Elliot
Ken Kerman	...	Vic
Aimee Garcia	...	Operator #1
Yasmine Delawari	...	Operator #2
Mary Pat Gleason	...	Operator #3
Rebecca Romijn	...	Lola
Henry Rollins	...	Putty
Sergio Bruna	...	Waiter - Italian Restaurant
Selma Blair	...	Adelle
Jim Cody Williams	...	BoBo
Sam Elliott	...	The Mormon
James Brolin	...	Robert Hatch

Also Known As:

Lies & Alibis (USA)
Lies and Alibis (USA)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and sexual content.

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

Netherlands | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | Australia:M | Singapore:NC-16 (edited version) | Germany:12 | UK:15 | Argentina:16 | South Korea:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Alibi

Movie Connections:

References The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

Soundtrack:

Sway

This is how I imagine Frank Tashlin does neo-noir

THE ALIBI is a smooth, elegant, neo-noir expertly shot by guys who did pre-cog scenes in MINORITY REPORT. It is very reminiscent of Frank Tashlin's work. Tashlin was the Warner Bros. cartoonist who ended up doing vehicles for Jerry Lewis and Doris Day. While his cartoons were strongly influenced by live action cinema, his live action features had a distinctive cartoonish element.

Te same can be said for THE ALIBI which works as a very tightly knit yarn and feels as precise as a special effects sequence. This precision makes the film flow smoothly and the directors deliver Hollywood entertainment at its best.

The cast is top-notch and the attached talent is the major asset of this production.

The only major shortcoming of this feature is the complete absence of emotions and character depth. The only character fully developed is the main character and it is a shame because other characters are too flat so the story fails to emotionally resonate. The screenplay feels like the first draft and it seems that it was just a couple rewrites away from being fully developed.

This is why THE ALIBI is just a well made programmer while it seems that deep inside it possessed a much bigger potential.