Roman (2006)

Director:

Angela Bettis

Writer:

Lucky McKee (writer)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Sometimes Death Is Not So Natural

Plot:

A lonely young man's obsession with his neighbor gets the best of him, resulting in a murder, a cover-up ... and a potential new romance?

Plot Keywords:

Nameless Character | Los Angeles | Factory | Loneliness | Apartment

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Lucky McKee	...	Roman
Nectar Rose	...	Eva
Kristen Bell	...	The Girl
Ben Boyer	...	Russ
Mike McKee	...	Leroy Wolf
Jesse Hlubik	...	Jesse
Chris Sivertson	...	Lanky Worker
Ernie Banks	...	Cyrus
Adam Gierasch	...	Boyd
Eddie Steeples	...	Detective
Thomas Beaumont	...	The Waiter
Vanessa Menendez	...	Hedda Gabler
Lotus Harmony	...	2nd Dream Girl
Pancho Alvarez	...	Lunch Room Worker
Steve Copeland	...	Lunch Room Worker

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Auteur Entertainment

Trivia:

Luke Y. Thompson originally shot scenes as French waiter Abdul, but was unable to make re-shoots due to appendicitis and the role had to be recast. Instead, he shot a new scene as a cashier who sells Roman a girlie magazine. Neither character ended up in the final cut.

Quotes:

Isis, the Girl: I think it's good to be curious. One shouldn't just sit around and wonder about stuff, you should go out and find out what it's all about. Because otherwise you sit around just tortured by your curiousity, and then you'll make up some twisted answer inside your head, just to satisfy yourself. And you'll never really know what the truth is. It's torturous.
Roman: Wondering how pork and beans are made tortured you?

Movie Connections:

References Harvey (1950)

Morbid but Intriguing

Anything having to do with dead bodies, whether it's zombies, necrophilia, cannibalism, or autopsies, etcetera, you can usually count me out. I really don't much care how well the film is made.

Now I did say usually, because "Roman" kept my interest. I thought Lucky McKee did an excellent job portraying a socially inept factory worker who is unable to control his fantasies, obsessions, and emotions. The viewer might be turned off by McKee's wooden and two-dimensional portrayal of Roman, but I believe this was intentional. If you don't believe there are really people out there like this, I'll introduce you to my sister-in-law's brother! Kirsten Bell and Nectar Rose were extremely sexy, Rose especially.

The film, obviously made on a low budget, didn't give anything away until the end, and was rather suspenseful. I can't say as I recommend "Roman", but I don't say avoid it at all costs either. It's not for everyone, and I'll leave it at that.