Complete credited cast: | |||
Michael Riley | ... | Sam | |
Sonja Bennett | ... | Ariel | |
Meredith McGeachie | ... | Julie | |
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Marcia Laskowski | ... | Mary |
Vincent Gale | ... | Irwin | |
Kathryn Kirkpatrick | ... | Beth | |
Don Ackerman | ... | Markus | |
Sarah Lind | ... | Liz | |
Stephen Dimopoulos | ... | Customer | |
Mercedes de la Zerda | ... | Tanya | |
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Dorota Dragan | ... | Muscle Woman |
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Andrea Nazareno | ... | Vicky |
Dr. Sam Frizzell lives alone with his eighteen year old daughter Ariel Frizzell in the upper middle class Kitsilano neighborhood of Vancouver. Sam has dated little since his wife died when Ariel was a young child, he instead focusing his attentions on his daughter. With the exception of sex, Ariel has almost become a surrogate wife for Sam. Ariel, on the other hand, has taken that role one step further, she who has an Electra complex. Ariel has had behavior issues, in large part due to the circumstances around her mother's death and the way Sam has treated her since. As such, she has no real friends and she is home schooled by a tutor - a young man named Markus who often cannot control his student - as she couldn't function within a school environment. Into their lives comes Mary. As their third date, Sam thinks it would be a good idea for Mary to come to his house to meet Ariel. Mary's already tenuous dating life takes a step backward when Ariel is openly hostile toward Mary over ... Written by Huggo
First of all then, my proper mark out of 10 here should be 6.5. I think that a 7 would be too generous for a film which, in the main, is very good indeed. I am not plot spoiling here by saying that the film contains unnecessary female topless boxing. In all honesty, the director could have chosen something completely different to link his characters. But then I believe that he has openly admitted that the audience can make their own mind up as to if the boxing is just in there to titillate the majority of the male contingent of those watching. This, in itself, is basically admitting that that is just the reason why it's there. However, if I were a female spectator, I would feel somewhat uncomfortable. This is unfortunate really because, in the main, the bulk of the story is more one that would appeal to the female movie watcher. I think that what I am trying to say here is that I have marked the film down purely because of the inclusion of the boxing.
It is true that the DVD box and its description are a little deceiving. This is a film far more involved in dealing with relationships. The oh so very close relationship between father and daughter, between the father and his new partner (and how the daughter copes with it), and then the relationship between the new partner and her sister. The box clearly depicts the daughter (Sonja Bennett) as a boxer....well, she isn't. Clearly unstable and ready for fight maybe.....but not a boxer.
I believe that Sonja Bennett received awards in her homeland of Canada for her acting in this movie but I really can't say that she was at all brilliant. Her maniacal display of tap dancing was more funny than anything else. However, I feel that the acting awards here should go to the father (Michael Riley). He was outstanding, and his monologue story about his first meeting with his now deceased wife was so so heart wrenching and beautifully done.
I have to admit that when I read that Sonja Bennett is, in actual fact, the daughter of the director Guy Bennett, i felt just a little uncomfortable by the fact that there are two scenes of nudity involving his daughter, one of which leaves nothing to the imagination. It therefore made me watch the scenes with the directors audio commentary to see what he had to say about them. Happily, he did say that he wasn't in the room when these scenes were shot.
So to conclude.......it is a shame to say that this very good movie could so much have been a great movie. Some viewers should not be left feeling uncomfortable about what is, in essence, a simple tale of relationships. Please give it a watch.