I have this film for a while, but I've never seen it until today. I haven't known much about it, I just picked it because of Christian Kane, 'cause I adore that man since I've fell in love with twin shows Angel and Buffy. I love his looks, his voice, his act - he's the real deal. So I thought it will worth a shot. And today I wanted to watch something in the evening, and I hadn't got anything I haven't had seen yet besides this one. So I started to watch it, and while it started, I'd dropped by to IMDb to see what other people think about it. After some really low points and really bad reviews I almost dropped it, but after ten minutes it got my attention right away. The only reason I'm not mad because of the bad opinions that almost got me not to watch it is that this way I had a feeling all the way through the film that there will be a lame ending. And this way I wasn't so disappointed when it turned out that I was right. I don't want to spoil anybody's experience with the film, so I won't write anything about why it was bad. That's not the point anyway. The point is that Keep your distance could be a very good film if it had an another ending. It has an interesting story, for starters. It's not the most original one in the history of movies, but a quite good one. There was good directing, very good actors who played very colorful, vivid characters, not commonplace, black-and-white, boring persons like in most of the Hollywood films, and there was a well-adjusted tension in the film. And then, int the end, in about 5 minutes, they ruined it all with a petty, cheesy closing. I got the feeling like the makers had got bored in the end or had ran out of time, and they had just thrown the first thing they got in mind to the end of the film. So yes, it's not a good film, but in my opinion it's just because of the ending. Whitout the last 5 minutes I would've given 7-8/10 to it. But this way it's not more than 5. Anyway, it was worth to be seen, and I kinda liked it even this way, but it could've been so much better. (And and least Christian Kane had some pleasant singing-scenes, and one always should appreciate him singing...)
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lousha-131 July 2009
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joelholio12 November 2005takes you nowhere! There were enough plot elements to keep me watching, but nothing happens in this movie. Keach and Pena have cameos and that's it. Coulda used anybody for either role and it would not have detracted from this film so don't watch this movie to see either one of these two show their considerable talents.
The 'bad guy' is not even really bad. I mean there's a jilted lover and a disgruntled employee - two characters that had the potential for some cool action/revenge and they both go out with a wimper! There's a great storm, in a house, in an isolated location and NOTHING HAPPENS! Obviously, Pollard had a decent budget for this film because it's well done but it just rather pointless. -
MagicStarfire9 September 2006Five stars pretty much catches this one. I've seen worse, and I've definitely seen better.
The film begins with what appears to be two stories - Melody Carpenter (Jennifer Westfeldt)is at a horse race in Louisville with her boyfriend, Sean Voight (Christian Kane) and his father, Brooks Voight(Stacy Keach),when Sean decides to make a very public marriage proposal to her, which is flashed up on some kind of scoreboard, and the TV cameras get pointed at them.
To Sean's surprise, Melody says no. This is rather upsetting for her and so she goes running out of Churchill Downs and almost gets hit by a vehicle driven by David Dailey(Gil Bellows).
David Dailey is a very popular radio show host on WHAS, and his wife, Susan is also well known.
There's also a little sub story about a politician who was running for office until the rumor that he had child porn on his computer ruined him. This eventually ties in.
David suddenly begins receiving mysterious envelopes. The first one he receives sends him to a hotel, where he expects to rendezvous with his wife, Susan.
Susan is there alright, but not as he had expected. Susan, it turns out is involved with another woman, but lesbians viewing this film need not get their hopes up. It's clear this film was written by a man for men's entertainment, because what does Susan do but hang onto David and suggest in the future they make it a threesome. The fact Susan's lover is female, which raises the question of whether she's actually gay, never gets questioned or developed. Nor does Susan's lover have any objections to the threesome arrangement. No, it's saintly David (said sarcastically I assure you)that has doubts about doing this.
Melody, meanwhile, is paranoid for no particular reason during a sales trip to Indianapolis.
As it turns out someone is following her, as she discovers when she goes racing after a black car that she's noticed always being around.
Melody and David apparently have no friends, and so although the two of them are complete strangers, they immediately contact each other when problems arise in their lives. -
me-126110 November 2005You know, I watched this movie based on other user comments on here.. I can't believe they were written by real people. How can a movie have only 118 votes, and already around 50 (very very very positive) user comments? To sum the movie up: Celebrity radio presenter finds out through a mysterious note that his wife is cheating on him with a woman. He randomly meets another woman, they talk about who's sending the notes. And nothing at all happens from this point on. This movie is just plain bad. It's supposed to be a thriller, but nothing really happens. The characters don't have any character. There are around 10 stories happening at the same time, but are all of the same low quality. I can't believe I sat through this thing. Don't watch it, and don't believe all the comments you read on IMDb.
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BunnyHug14 April 2006I have a strong suspicion that many of the glowing reviews for this film come from shills. If not, then I'm baffled. As my friend said, "There went ninety minutes that I'll never get back."
The best part of the film is the title sequence, which was very slick and set the right suspenseful mood. After that, things went quickly downhill. The acting is workmanlike, the script is full of clumsy dialogue, and the direction is riddled with embarrassing clichés. (For instance, during the final showdown, which of course takes place in a dark house during a thunderstorm, we are treated to a flash of lightning suddenly revealing the silhouette of someone on the doorstep -- twice!)
"Keep Your Distance" tries to be a character-driven suspense film, but the problem is that the characters are insubstantial and unlikable and there is no suspense. I knew who the culprit was from the beginning, simply due to Ebert's "law of economy of characters," but I didn't know why. At the end of the film, I still didn't know why. The clues that we are given, when they are finally deciphered by the characters, turn out to be mostly irrelevant. -
nullig12 November 2005I watched this crap based on the comments here, which, I now believe, must all have been written by someone involved with the making and/or marketing of the movie. I cannot believe that anyone actually thought this was a good movie... it is absolute crap. My wife and I gave up after 30 minutes when we realized that it just wasn't getting any better as time went on. What a waste of time.
To summarize...
It combines the worst acting, corniest dialogue and worst direction I've ever witnessed in the most excruciatingly slow paced movie I've ever tried to watch.
AVOID AT ALL COSTS. DON'T EVEN BOTHER WITH THE VIDEO. -
kristine-dicolandrea3 December 2005Although I still think that Pollard's first movie (Nice Guys Sleep Alone) takes the cake in my book, Keep Your Distance was a thrilling mystery, that will keep anyone who likes trying to crack codes and solve mysteries on their toes. Pollard did a great job of integrating the city of Louisville (from the well-known skyscrapers seen in the skyline to the best ice cream place in town) into his movie - anyone who loves Louisville should definitely see this movie. Acting was well done, cinematography was visibly improved from Nice Guys, and, all in all, it's definitely a film worth seeing. The unexpected twists in the story kept coming, and the way the film unraveled itself towards the end made everything come together comprehensively.
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Kevin-130519 September 2006This film is completely predictable without rendering any entertainment value whatsoever. Its simply terrible. It amazes me that work like this actually gets made; moreover, it has the guts to solicit money, as if making the film were equal, in some far away galaxy, to having suffered through watching it. The twists and turns travel deep into plot point after point until the mystery unravels itself into portraiture--nothing meaningful happens. What does occur are heavy-handed maneuvers in story conventions at the expense of the audience. Surely there is no conscious disdain for the viewer, but to scorn film goers through reckless naivety isn't just no matter how mot just the intentions might have been. Furthermore, it is hard to believe that any skill lies in either the craft to create story or to successfully, manipulate deceitfully. Neither are done subtly thus neither are received auspiciously. Hopefully the cast and crew were given the proper time to jump ship before this boat sank back into the mind from which it came. Perhaps Writer/Director Pollard should stick to voice-overs?
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steven-hakeman31 October 2005You'll be pleasantly surprised by this recently released independent from Stu Pollard. Strong acting across the board, featuring charismatic performances from Jennifer Westfeldt (Kissing Jessica Stein) and Gil Bellows (Ally McBeal). Not quite a thriller, not quite a romance, but close enough to both you won't be going to the fridge until it's over. Beautiful cinematography gives genuine personality to Louisville and its environs. Every aspect of this film shows Pollard knows what he's up to, in spades. A plot hole or two may leave you with a couple of questions at the end. So watch it again. When all is said and done, the story rolls along briskly and you'll be glad you went for the ride. Deserves to be seen. A sterling sophomore effort.
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Well, there are a lot of bad movies around these days I know but this one somehow really gets under my skin.
It is made worse by the fact that I came here first to read the opinions and reviews on it and, in doing so was convinced it could be something a little special by a director I don't know of and with a story that sounded intriguing.
Boy oh boy was I in for a surprise. The kind of surprise you get when you are about to go on holiday and when you grab the tickets as you are locking the door you realise that you somehow booked the flights a week early. That isn't a surprise really, more of a grim realisation; a nightmare...a shock.
This movie is a shocker.
It doesn't shock you.
In no way does it shock you.
What it does do is amble along miserably in the style of an early 90's TV Movie, about as slow-paced as can be without coming to a complete standstill, the characters are introduced and, well, we are feeling that now that we know everyone, the plot will start soon.
Hmmmm another 20minutes goes by.............zzzZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz "maybe the story is going to be a big build up and totally throw us back in our seats" I said to the few that were still trying to watch it, not having made an excuse to leave!
Nope.
Nothing.
A big fat nothing.
The whole movie was like an episode of some nondescript daytime US series that never quite got to the end. When this movie did finally get to the end, that was another surprise. I don't mean it was a great twist or a brilliant piece of writing that made you realise why the rest of the film had been the way it had.... Oh no, it was a surprise because it confirmed to you what you hoped it wouldn't: That there wasn't a redeeming factor or space of even ten minutes in this film that could be described as interesting or -god forbid- entertaining. Only watch this if you feel sleepy but can't fall asleep... I guarantee you will be nodding off within the hour.
Why do people make films like this?? -
PiranianRose29 November 2005I'll begin by saying that this is the best American movie I have seen in 2005, which may not say much since I try to steer my viewing habits to things of greater merit than mind-numbingly insulting garbage that comes out of Hollywood these days. Other outstanding American films of the year so far include SIN CITY and CRASH.
KEEP YOUR DISTANCE is hailed as a mystery thriller, which is somewhat misleading considering the mystery is secondary to the primary focus of studying the characters' psychology in modern society by looking at their public and private lives.
The spontaneous, down-to-earth performances is the film's greatest asset. No moment stands out as showy, as popular blockbusters would try to impress us with badass personalities, or as experimental art films would consciously pile layers upon layers of subtleties. This type of independent film has the perfect balance in the spectrum, in my humble opinion, which another review has mentioned that it "tries" to look like mainstream, and I'll just add that it offers more depth. In little moments like Melody's spontaneous yet helpless laughter in response to David Dailey's awkward line "I've been there (Chicago)," it's obvious that the film isn't trying to sell its stars, cool characters, or edge-of-your-seat action. All it's doing, is offering a realistic character study, taking in issues that have become central to society only recently, for example the drive for workaholism and its consequences on personal life, the long term devastation of marrying the wrong person, as well as maintaining the right distance in relationships, as the title suggests. If art is to imitate real life, then KEEP YOUR DISTANCE is an outstanding work of art.
Several themes gradually unfold in parallel situations, such as the parallel between the Lentz scandal and David Dailey's own problems, and common dissatisfaction in the relationship of Melody and Sean paralleling that of David and Susan. In Melody's case, marrying the wrong man phased out her trust for everything. When she checks into a hotel room, she routinely looks under the bed and behind the shower curtain, as if not doing so will jeopardize her security. Such insecurity distances her from her new boyfriend Sean, who has a habit of spying, and even sets up a secret camera overlooking his band mates. As a side note, I think Sean probably inherited this habit from his wealthy father, whom we see paying people to keep an eye on other people. As for David, his wife Susan has been calling the shots since their marriage. They have had a lot of luck, and all can be attributed to her initiatives. David finally realizes that their marriage isn't about two people, but about one person, which cannot be sustained.
The ending is a bit of a letdown because the solution to the mystery is not earth-shakingly complicated. However, this is in tune with the rest of the film's down-to-earth approach, which still manages to play out impressively captivating (and in my opinion is a case of simplicity bearing superiority).
Inevitably, this kind of character study film will always trigger criticism for being boring or "nothing happens" (case in point: THE LIMEY, another personal favorite). In my opinion, such accusation is a lame move generally coming from viewers that have been trapped in mainstream blockbusterland. Needless to say, many such viewers are handicapped by short attention span and lack of exposure to the other end of the spectrum (namely films bearing more complexity, originality, sophistication, depth, boldness, and imagination).
KEEP YOUR DISTANCE is a fine film because it aims to impress us by delivering elements fundamental to the art: strong performances, interesting storytelling, and thorough characterization. Most mainstream blockbusters cannot touch a genuine independent showcase like this one because there's hardly any substance underneath their star power and high tech tricks. -
joeshearer-125 September 2005This is a decent little flick that weaves deception, obsession and sexuality through the lives of several characters. Gil Bellows (of The Shawshank Redemption and Ally McBeal) plays David Daily, a Louisville, Ky., radio show host who quickly finds his life falling apart. He finds solace in the company of a young woman named Melody (Jennifer Westfeldt of "Kissing Jessica Stein") who has relationship issues of her own.
The refreshing part of this relationship is that it's not sexual. Most Hollywood productions push a man and woman toward the bedroom as quickly as they can, but "Keep Your Distance" takes a different tack: David isn't interested in cheating on his wife.
Ironically, it's this very idea that endangers Melody, as her spurned boyfriend becomes increasingly obsessed with her, following her around and eventually catching her with David.
David is the film's best-written character, as writer/director Stu Pollard explores his issues well. When David catches his wife in bed with another woman, she invites him to join them. Instead of being driven by his hormones, David is a thoughtful character and weighs his options before making his decision.
The film is far from perfect, though. Many of the film's metaphors are heavy-handed and obvious, and there are really just too many characters who don't get fleshed out. I never felt like I was really getting to know these characters, and most of them didn't change throughout the course of the story.
But in total, it's a serviceable, enjoyable thriller with superb production values for an independent film, stellar acting and several good scenes, including one where David coaches a team of Little Leaguers on how to give a post-game interview just like the pros. -
I am a slight fan of Christian Kane's, I saw him from the TV show Angel, so when I was looking for a movie, I noticed him on the cover and even though I wasn't familular with the actors, also I wasn't sure about the story, but I figured I should give it a shot. So I went ahead and rented it and just watched it tonite and over all, I'd say that it was a good attempt for a thriller, but it was pretty average.
Basically this radio host, David, has caught his wife cheating with another woman. Melody has just turned her boyfriend's, Sean, proposal down in public, but when Melody runs out to skip humiliation, she gets hit by a car and David helps her, so when he finds out about his wife, he drinks and gets thrown in jail, and to return the favor, Melody bails him out and they develop a friendship discovering that there might be people out to hurt them.
Keep Your Distance like I said was an average thriller that could've been better, but from what I'm reading, the director is still pretty new at movies, so I'm going to give him a chance, because this wasn't a bad movie at all. So if you come across it, you might want to check it out, you never know, you may love it or you may hate it, but just give it a shot.
5/10 -
The best thing about this movie is Christian Kane. I have seen several of his movies and I continue to be amazed by the depth and breadth of his acting. The fact Christian sings in this movie is an added bonus! If you're a fan of Christian Kane, this movie is worth your time.
If you're not a Christian Kane fan, don't waste your time. Watching Gil Bellows act is like watching paint dry. The other actors aren't much better.
The movie had potential but it fell short. If it wasn't for Christian, I would have given this movie a 1. In my opinion, he was the saving grace of this movie. -
redbridge132 June 2006I give this movie a five based solely on the good quality of production used to create it. It also employs a nice cast of actors, and altogether has a professional look.
Besides that it is less than decent, especially the ending. I won't spoil it for those who haven't seen it, but I don't need to anyways, it does that all on it's own. The terrible finale, and the pathetic use of Dues Ex Machina make me certain that any comments that you may have previously seen from viewers calling this movie one of the best films they have seen are bias or from people personally involved.
This is nothing more than a low level film and the perfect example of how to dress up a weak movie with a fancy production. But don't take my word for it, you have to see it to understand just what I mean. -
sgcim30 December 2006At first I wasn't going to bother reviewing this flick because I thought this was the director's first film and he may improve or something, but then I read here that he also directed "Nice Guys Sleep Alone", which I haven't seen, so I may as well say something.
If you can't write- don't make a film!
This guy can't write (stupid plot, bad dialogue), so he should have
gotten a screenplay- there are people who would do anything to get their scripts made into films.
Thank God, I took this DVD out from the library so I didn't lose any money on it, and I practiced technique exercises on the guitar for 90 minutes while watching it, so my time wasn't completely wasted.
We thought at least this guy must have a religious affiliation (like the classic "Exorcism", or one of the producers of "Plan Nine From Outer Space")that he was trying to brainwash people with, which would at least account for some reason why this film was made, but nothing was revealed on the special features of the DVD, so I guess the guy is just dumb.
I don't have the stamina to watch it again with the director's commentary, but I'm sure that there must be a few agoraphobics, shut-ins, or people under house arrest here who would gladly give up 90 more minutes of their lives to tell us which cult the director belongs to and why he made this film. -
elikulow8 October 2005The movie tends to linger in your mind. The twists and turns take a while to process and the more you remember, the more you enjoy. Gil Bellows knocked it out with his wonderfully expressive eyes caught by the director. Sometimes I wasn't sure how the whole movie was going to fit together, but the story kept a good pace to keep me in the game. Stacey Keach was definitely a good choice and brings a fountain of meaning with his expressions and mannerisms. Definitely a show written by a guy and seen through a guy's eye of the world. Interesting to see the world through that lens and then not blowing it out with machismo (even though one scene makes you shake your head at the mischief).
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afterdarkpak20 February 2021Its kinda low budget tv movie. some ok performance .
but i didnt like the ending, its kinda unfinished or unsatisfying one. there could be more of it. but anyhow.. its a good time killing movie. -
carter_yertz22 July 2005I was fortunate to catch this at a sneak preview in Los Angeles and was very nicely surprised. Pollard has created a sure-footed send-up of modern romance and what happens when devotion goes over the edge. Camera-work and settings around Kentucky were beautiful, creating a different spin from the constant romance-in-a-big-town-between-overeducated-professionals genre we all know too well.
Story splits its time between David (Gil Bellows of "Ally McBeal" & "Shawshank Redemption"), a popular (and married) local radio talk-show host and Melody (Jennifer Westfeldt of "Kissing Jessica Stein"), an attractive pharmaceutical saleswoman traveling through town to see her boyfriend, Sean (Christian Kane, "Angel" & "Friday Night Lights"). David meets Melody by chance after she humiliates Sean by turning down his very public marriage proposal. As a friendship develops between the two, we learn than Sean's not going to give up so easily on Melody and that David's perfect life as upstanding pillar of the community may not be what it seems...
Pollard deftly moves between romance, satire and unfolding mystery without ever letting his story run low on gas. The storyline is tight and the dialog is witty, funny and crisp. Realistic characters have to work around their warts, which creates a very funny commentary on marriage, dating and romantic obsession. Jennifer Westfeldt is particularly good at making a lot out of her neurotic beauty Melody, and she does look good here. Very nice use of multiple subplots and supporting characters (including "Mike Hammer" Stacy Keach and Elizabeth Pena of "Jacob's Ladder"). The story will keep you guessing until the last shot.
Good solid entertainment- keep an eye out for director Pollard in the future. 8/10 -
cinephreak20 October 2005Keep Your Distance manages to take the increasingly formulaic thriller genre and bend it to serve its needs. It's an indie flick that polished itself up, threw on some cologne and presented itself as a decently budgeted studio film (from a glance you can tell every dollar spent on this movie went into the production, not the cast/crew's pockets).
The acting is solid more or less across the board. Gil Bellows walks decently in the shoes of a leading man, and delivers a restrained, convincing performance (though he isn't the most empathetic of protagonists). David Dailey (Bellows) is a beloved Louisville radio personality, unintentionally stoic in his personal life until his marriage is jilted at the helm of his power-couple wife Susan (an underdeveloped but effective Kim Raver). After receiving the first in a series of mysterious notes, he takes a key he finds and follows it to a hotel room where he catches his wife with another woman. Then there is Melody (Jennifer Westfeldt in a strong and charismatic role the standout of the flick), a charming and misdirected woman who meets David in a chance encounter. Their instant chemistry is furthered as she becomes David's only real confidant through his pseudo-emotional hell as the letters continue to arrive, lacing a narrative of unknown consequence.
The story weaves about through a local political scandal, Melody's struggle with her recently proposed and denied boyfriend, the random letters, and David's coping with his wife's seemingly random sexual awakening (she loves him, but wants to add other women to their bedroom excursions). The problem is the story is chock-full of controversial material child pornography, consensual ménage polygamy, political corruption, etc but the delivery pulls punches. Not that the movie has to revel in visual immorality, but the depiction of the elements falls short of what your mind conceives. Which in a sense could be a good choice, as too many movies give the audience little credit and visually bombard them with the obvious. So at least Keep Your Distance is smart and lets you fill in the gaps yourself.
The script could have used more work. There were a few plot holes, a very anti-climactic ending (which sets itself up to be so much more I loved the buildup, just not the final note), and several characters are left undeveloped to the point of possible removal. Mainly Melody's boyfriend Sean (Christian Kane whose performance is apt, but reaching as he is nearly completely unsympathetic to the audience) and his father (Stacey Keach) and his father's assistant (Elizabeth Pena). These characters were interesting enough, but disappeared too soon and got left behind in the movie's primary focus David and Melody. A side note Jamie Harrold's performance as Whit, David's radio sidekick is beautifully complex. His obsessive shadowing and idolizing of David's life is genuinely harrowing, if not slightly short of expectation by the final reel.
That out of the way, the cinematography is very nice, with some extremely elegant shots. The story is intriguing enough, with several chilling, humorous, and occasional Hitchcock-like moments. The dialogue is very witty and creative, specific to each character. The movie is extremely voyeuristic and takes risks when it can, constantly standing before thematic and technical hurdles it probably shouldn't be able to jump, but can. It's admirable that an independent film can have such high aspirations and genuinely strive to achieve them, rather than cornering itself into a watered down version of its potential self.
Stu Pollard's direction is very sound. He has grown immensely from his previous work Nice Guys Sleep Alone, which was a heartfelt, and often genuine romantic comedy that isn't afraid of being tongue-in-cheek and borderline Hallmark. His work on that was astute, but this time around he presents his material as something he's mauled over extensively on a personal level. The structure of many of the scenes is extremely poignant, and the camera-work is selective extravagant when necessary and subdued when relevant. It knows when to shut up and let the actors play out the story. The editing is specific to each scene, and keeps a decent pace, though certain scenes could run shorter (namely the music number in the club).
From Nice Guys to Distance, Pollard has redefined himself as a filmmaker. He's translated his witty dialogue and intriguing characters to a completely different genre. It feels as if he's tackled this effort from a completely different and unexplored angle, which results in a pleasant success.
I'd recommend seeing Keep Your Distance when you get the chance. It's an intriguing, entertaining, yet all at once flawed, engaging flick that exists as a morality tale. A warning that no level of outward perfection is immune to being overthrown by envy, greed, or lust, but hope might be there to comfort you at the end of the day if you keep your distance. From what is up to you. -
ChristopherTWood1 November 2005Stu Pollard has penned and directed an engaging film that holds your attention throughout. The casting and performances break out of the Hollywood stereotypes and add to the mystery of the film. Keep Your Distance is not shy about revealing the faults of each character and using the same to propel the plot!! Kudos to all involved!! I truly enjoyed the use of the Kentucky landscape as well as the opportunity to glimpse Kentucky society through the film. Future filmmakers would be advised to investigate non-traditional locals as a way of saving and raising money in addition to allowing a greater diversity to be found in the cinema!!
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"Keep Your Distance" is a study in trust and boundaries. David Dailey ("Ally McBeal"'s Gil Bellows) is a seasoned Louisville talk radio host with a seemingly perfect marriage whose life collides with Melody (Jennifer Westfeldt), a young woman running out on her marriage proposal. As David and Melody bond over the puzzling letters he is receiving, Sean ("Angel"'s Christian Kane)Melody's would-be fiancée, pursues her with increasing fervor. Pollard leads us through the drama of these character's lives with a wry humor off-setting the suspenseful moments. Pollard tells his story simply yet in an engaging fashion.
The production value on the film is very high; it looks like it was made for more than 1.5 million. The ensemble acting was also quite cohesive. Personally, Christian Kane is extremely believable as an overly obsessed rocker/rich boy. He performs his own singing (pulling it off with sexy panache) in a truly creepy "love" song. Admirable sophomore effort from Pollard, who comes off as a down to earth and amicable human being (he attended the screening in Dallas.) Indeed, I hope you do get to make twenty films, Mr. Pollard! -
wrlang15 January 2007Keep Your Distance is about a talk show host (David) and a drug saleswoman (Melody) who get caught up in several scandals, including their own. Melody has a possessive and rich boy friend who gives everyone the willies. David gets letters that show him things about his life and he confides in Melody who he meets by chance, and they help each other through some tough times as friends. As things start to pan out some clues start to give away the twists that occur at the end. A class A film technically with lots of good scenes. Acting was very good and the characters where believable. In the end, the letters spell out a lame plot as the characters have to explain it all to the audience.
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dyfrazie21 September 2005Likewise, I just saw the screening, and the movie was a lot more intense and put together than I thought it would be. I couldn't help but watch with a critical eye, so I have a lot of questions about the plot, structure, and continuity of the film.
For me at least, the scenes didn't seem to flow together as much as I would have liked them to. Some of the discontinuity was easily justified by imperfect scenes that Pollard wanted to cut out for his own sake, but the back and forth between romantic comedy to mysterious thriller left me with a slight feeling of lack of decision on Pollard's part.
Later, Pollard explained that this sharp contrast was intentional, and it was in an effort to display how life is not always a romance or always a suspense. A simple event like talking to someone you have feelings for could turn your day around. After hearing that, it made me appreciate the effects much more, but I still felt a little built up in multiple areas with a completely different climax. The mysterious notes David Dailey continually received seemed unimportant in the beginning, nothing more than a distraction, but the ending was based on the solving of the puzzle behind it and the identity of the sender. I felt like David and Melody were more amused with the puzzle than anxious to solve it.
Being as anal retentive as I am, I noticed a lot of little things like how the ice cream they were eating was half eaten in some scenes and then completely untouched later. Or, how the traffic lights didn't match the flow of traffic. And, personally, the generic music in random scenes made it less attractive to me because I tend to look for original, underplayed music.
What I did enjoy about the film was the incorporation of Christian Kane's musical talents. I, being the estrogen filled female that I am, loved all the sappy things he does for Melody, but I don't like how Melody immediately doesn't trust him without cluing in the audience as to why. I understand his obsession and deception later on fills us in, but the secretary lady also stalking Melody seemed as though Sean's father was being nosy, not Sean. Personally, I was just left with an impression that Melody was just indecisive and picky.
Also, David's rejection of his wife's sexual adventure was a refreshing addition, but his reaction to Melody's arrival seemed way too hostile. I expected him to be relieved to see her as opposed to him barely letting her in out of the rain. This whole scene seemed rather explosively confusing with so much stuff going and not enough wholeness in the end. The last scene where David and Melody finally get together seemed really abrupt much like the kissing scene in Garden State. I really appreciated it in Garden State because the whole movie is spontaneous and random, but in this film, it just seemed rather confusing.
Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed this movie because it made me think about all the things it takes to pull together an intricate plot. Much like Wicker Park, but not so twisted, Keep Your Distance maintains a more realistic portrayal of the uncertainties of love, life, and money. Pollard combines his ability to make a truly romantic comedy with his ability to display the hardships of everyday life. Scenes like when Melody and her secretary are discussing how she needs a vacation really lightened the mood, but also, the scenes where the "perfect" couple the Daileys are really revealed as equally dysfunctional as the rest of the world are just examples of this fusion.
Pollard explained how his message of happiness comes hand in hand with trust, and I would have to completely agree with him. That revelation opened my eyes to all the artistic value that I had overlooked previously.
To end this much too late, my overall opinion of this film is of great respect and appreciation for the emphasis of human error. -
RiffeThis10 September 2005Was very impressed with this indie film that looked and felt like such a "big budget" effort. Gil Bellows is fabulous as the lead. He plays a man with a charmed life whose world gets rocked by an anonymous interloper. The veneer cracks for several of the leading characters, who seem to lead charmed lives as well. The beautiful socialite wife. The trust fund baby and his powerful father. The plot is clever. A mystery meticulously crafted to keep you engaged to the end. Loved the music, too. Bravo to Stu Pollard's second big film effort. I liked "Nice Guys Sleep Alone" but "Keep Your Distance" catapults Pollard into a different league for film-making.