In Search of a Midnight Kiss

Stars: Scoot McNairy, Sara Simmonds, Brian Anthony McGuire, Katie Leong

Director: Alex Holdridge

A tough-talking LA romance which, despite its abrasive style, has a certain charm. It amuses, beguiles and alienates in roughly equal proportions. Shot in rather murky black and white that brings a new bleakness to Los Angeles, it focuses on scrawny, scruffy wannabe writer Wilson (co-producer McNairy from Six Feet Under), still moping over his lost girlfriend and living with buddy Jacob (McGuire) and his partner Min (Leong) in solitary misery.

Encouraged to get an Internet date for New Year's Eve, Wilson manages to hook up with the attractive but aggressive Vivian (Simmonds), whose soft blonde looks are betrayed by a foul mouth. Their day together, increasingly successful until the blundering Wilson upsets her, is interrupted by frequent calls from the violent redneck boyfriend on whom she has walked out (they seem sorely unsuited to have been together for three years).

The subsequent plot has some nice moments, but too often the dialogue doesn't impress as things that people on a first date might actually say to each other. Simmonds, though, is undoubtedly a face for the future.

David Quinlan

USA 2008. UK Distributor: Vertigo. Black and white.
100 minutes. Not widescreen. UK certificate: 15.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 1, Violence/Horror 0, Drugs 1, Swearing 2.

Review date: 10 Jun 2008