This was the first movie we attended at Sundance 2007. There was quite a bit of food for thought in this movie. The main character, Claire, is a very likable person who is quite lonely. Because of her desperation, she finds herself dating a totally reprehensible person "Jay" (Jason Patric). He was such a horrible person that I had a hard time seeing just why Claire continued to let him into her life. At one point in the movie, Claire's character implored Jay to "be nice to me." That was a very poignant moment in the film. As I said earlier, this movie had lots of food for thought, most of it about why women are attracted to men who seem like jerks to the rest of the world. The movie truly didn't answer these questions, and it was a depressing film to watch. Teri Garr was very good in a dual role as Claire's stroke affected mother and as her perfectly healthy but obnoxious aunt. Samantha Morton was brilliant as Claire, and Jason Patric also did a wonderful job. It was a movie that was quite difficult to watch, however, so I don't know how successful it will be.
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ArizWldcat24 January 2007
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Some meter maids are men. Thus the line of work leads Jay (Jason Patric) to run into Claire (Samantha Morton). Both are in the business of giving out parking tickets on Los Angeles streets. Claire is a sweet person, who is willing to provide drivers with a break once in a while. She can make allowances. Unfortunately, when she serves tickets, a lot of people are just as mad at her as they'd be at anybody else in her job. She gets the finger, is yelled at, cars sideswipe her. With Jay it's another story. Nasty encounters with furious drivers are barely enough to satisfy his endless need to express pent up anger, and rather than diffuse conflicts, he foments them.
Jay lives alone in a sterile apartment where he masturbates to phone sex arranged on the Internet. It has been a long time since he has had contact with a real woman. Claire lives in a cozy place with her mother (Teri Garr), who is muted by a stroke. They eat Chinese takeout; she puts up decorative lights. It's Christmas.
When Jay starts to show interest in Claire and eventually takes her on dates, the action of this movie grows more cringe-worthy from one scene to the next. The kindly, patient Claire is too inexperienced and needy to be able to admit that Jay is an asshole, or to recognize even when he tells her his story and she sees him momentarily run into his son (whose car he tickets), how weird and dysfunctional this man is. To the audience, everything Jay says is borderline offensive. He is a bundle of narrow macho defenses, unconvincing superiority and that anger.
Jay is trying. He brings flowers. He kisses her. When Claire's mother suddenly dies, he comes over to help. But even moments like this tend to turn rather ugly with Jay, and perverse. Is he helping or exploiting? He has little evident control over himself. He begins to be affectionate and it turns insulting.
Garr also plays Claire's mother's crazy sister; both are fresh and peculiar performances.
Essential to this tale are Claire's and Jay's different performance evaluations at work. If it weren't for those, we might think they're both losers. But one is and one isn't; one is redeemable and the other is hopeless; and the parking department finally tells us which is which.
This is a fairly distinctive piece of work in which the laughs are all uncomfortable. It's also the kind of movie that's very specialized in how much of life it shows us. it's obvious to begin with that people don't very often reveal their positive side when being served with a parking ticket (the film is misleading in almost implying that people tend to be present when parking tickets are given out; of course most aren't). Unfortunately the main characters have problems rather than depths. The mother is plucky, but monosyllabic; her sister is a shrill annoyance. Where are the real people, the ordinary people, in this world? This is where Patric and Morton come in to save, somewhat, the day. Both are interesting actors bold in taking unsympathetic roles, and both are able to give a texture to their limited characters that makes them troublingly alive, even as facets of a rounded portrayal aren't provided by the script.
There are very minor characters who seem nice, or normal, and one best friend who is helpful and honest to Claire: it's she, along with the parking department, who provides the essential perspective. Indeed, at the end the perspective is perhaps a little too clear. Clair and Jay may have been left in doubt, but the audience has been left nothing to ponder.
Ultimately this story reads as writer-director Cecilia Miniucchi's pitying, but nonetheless very jaundiced, feminine view of certain extreme aspects of the problems men have with women. Neil LaBute has depicted many assholes, but as chauvinistic and boorish as LaBute's men are, they are not as asocial and dysfunctional as Jay.
It's interesting to compare Expired with Delbert Mann's seminal work of pop verismo (written by Paddy Chayevsky), the 1955 film 'Marty,' which is about another lonely couple groping toward each other. Ernest Borgnine and Betsy Blair are both shy, depressed, lonely people who need someone. Their scenes together are also cringe-inducing, in a way, and now seem rather corny, but the conception of their plight comes out of a sympathetic humanism. Expired is an ugly world that hovers on the edge of caricature--grotesque as it seems, in 'Marty's' terms, to laugh at a paralyzed woman or a hostile sister. It's hard to see the couple's work context as very much more than a joke framework given a realistic edge. It's never certain if we're supposed to be sympathetic to these people and their jobs or distance them, while looking on with a kind of appalled curiosity. Are these people? Well, maybe, sometimes.
Claire begs Jay to be nice to her, insisting that she cares for him. But the more Jay touts his own niceness the more obviously insensitive he seems. Jason Patric's performance is chilling in its spot-on unpleasantness.
It's not so much that, compared to Chayevsky's and Mann's day, these are different times, though they certainly are, as that the contexts of comedy have been so altered that decency and kindness are harder and harder to access through such means. -
chip_p21 January 2007The movie describes the life of a meter maid in Los Angeles. She lives with her disabled mother (played by Teri Garr). Beyond her mother, some other aspects of her life are also disabled. She has a positive outlook on life and tries to keep that as the story unfolds. Her relationship with her mother, her aunt, and a potential romantic interest at work weave together to make the story. This was a Sundance film and it was fairly well attended, but I am guessing the tone of the movie will make it hard for a wide release to happen. Cringing is very common throughout the movie as the characters choose paths or actions that most of us would steer clear of. At least a couple of the scenes could do with better editing as there were jumps that should not be in a big studio production.
7/10 -
dasiren25 April 2007Expired is one of those films that remind you about simply just being human. I was fortunate enough to watch this at it's Los Angeles screening. I found myself, as the story went along watching the audience just as much as the characters on the screen. The story is exquisitely woven, I felt the writer was a maestro just when I felt like laughing I wanted to cry. There were moments so poignant that even as the film progressed you find yourself thinking back to those scenes. This film is an emotional roller coaster, but worth the ride. Basic human emotion, empathy and relationships, this is the film to watch. No bells and whistles, just magnificent writing and performances. Jason Patric gives the performance of a lifetime and Samantha Morton is the reflection of the human soul.
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Siamois5 September 2008I wasn't expecting anything, considering that several indie dramas have left me a little disappointed lately. But Expired proved much better than I expected.
For one, the story both flows well (if a little slowly for some) and benefits from a sincere treatment, without any fluff. The two main characters, as odd and bizarre as they might look, strengthen the genuineness of the experience. The words coming out of their mouths feeling like words, not scripted lines. Of course, many will say both characters are extremely odd but anyone who has worked in social services, or known someone who did, will know about such oddities and such relationships. Before I continue I must commend both leads for their performances. Samantha Morto and Jason Patric are two actors that never disappoint and here, they really shine and give the movie the extra boost that makes it worth several viewings.
Where the movie can strike particularly hard is that, while their issues are extreme and both are at the tip end of the scale, so to speak, you'll still be able to recognize shades of these attitudes in your everyday life. Might be some friends, some coworkers, family members. It might not be that extreme. It might not be extreme at all, but Jay's way of dealing with insecurity and ineptitude will resonate with many. His preemtive defensiveness is a trait we too often see, even in gentler, kinder persons. Likewise, Claire's lethargic nature, her passivity (flaws that are hindering her life before she even meet Jay), will also strike a chord with many. The story does a good job showing us that Jay didn't have to set any elaborate trap or masquerading himself as something he's not.
Their flaws is what makes them "compatible" (in a very sad sort of way) with each others. And Cecilia Miniucchi's story and direction really depict that very well. In fact, it's almost perfect until the last 10 or 15 minutes. What has prevented me from giving this movie a near perfect score of 9 is what I feel was a slightly easy way out for the resolution. I just didn't buy the drastic turn of event.
Nonetheless, this movie gives food for thoughts. It is very much a study not just of (flawed) relationships but also a great character study. In fact, I felt it was more successful in that respect than many movies that have received more praise, like the pretty good Half Nelson.
I look forward to Cecilia Miniucchi's next film. Job very well done! -
punishmentpark15 September 2013A romantic story, but also tragic. The nasty ways of Jay are hard to watch, though there is a history to it and in another way he seems to be trying to... change? be good? I don't know, but Jason Patric does make some humanity shine through at moments. In the end it isn't enough and when Claire (wonderfully played by Samantha Morton) discovers his internet porn habit, she (after one last 'try') feels whatever little magic there was or may have been, it's surely gone now...
I found it all - this second time around - hard to watch, again. Sometimes such an effort pays off, but I'm not sure that 'Expired' really does. This slice of life, combined with the day to day practice of parking ticket officers and some sad stories going on in their private lives, is a bit (too) much.
Another thing I must mention is the camera work; was it a financial 'thing' to use just one camera switching from character to character and event to event, or an artistic choice? In any case, for me that didn't really work and distracted me from the actual drama going on.
6 out of 10. -
Prismark1015 September 2013This is a low budget Independent film that wowed critics at The Sundance Festival in 2007.
It stars Jason Patric as Jay, a very strict traffic warden who is in fact downright rude and also prone to violence and lying about the people he has booked.
He provokes them and thinks his uniform is enough to get him through. In an early scene he books his own son.
Claire played by British actress Samantha Morton is a new warden, good hearted in nature but lonely living with her disabled mother.
Both characters go on a date and seem to be attracted to each other, although what Claire sees in Jay, no one knows.
He is just rude, obnoxious and tells her she is chubby.
The fact that he has a very distant relationship with his son who is a musician might give a clue that Jay has issues. He mentions a relationship in his college days which detoured his life.
Jay is also addicted to online porn, more so than the normal red blooded males.
The movie, filmed in sunny LA but set at Christmas is unusual with lead actors who are known names and features good acting.
Jason Patric who was set for stardom in the late 80s and early 90s might be too good looking to play a loner with relationship issues.
Samantha Morton looks too thin to be someone with a fondness for M&Ms.
The film has its little twists and turns, although slight it keeps your interest. -
twinmom2223 November 2008Contrary to other opinions here, we did not find this movie at all funny, entertaining, or worth spending and hour and a half to watch. Instead, we found it boring and sad only.
The biggest flash of humor was when Claire reads her mother's letter.
We have seen many movies with dysfunctional characters, sad situations, and about people living pathetic lives that were actually worth watching. Contrary to what the trailer portrays, this is NOT a love story; it is a study in how we all approach life in vastly different ways.
The acting was fine; the script just wasn't that clever or interesting. Teri Garr's character was the "highlight"; the main characters were so pathetic we didn't care about them. -
quizick7 February 2007The movie Expired is really unlike most of the feature films you'll see these days. It has an intensity, a committed vision that grabs you and holds you in its grips for the entire hour and a half or so. Of films in recent years that share this quality, I can think of Todd Solondz' "Happiness".
Expired is the story of two L.A. parking officers, or "meter maids", one female and one male, who meet on the job and have an increasingly dysfunctional, mercurial relationship. Samantha Morton plays it extremely sweet, wide-eyed and gentle as Claire, a meter maid who lives with her stroke-incapacitated, essentially mute mother and hates having to ruin peoples' days with tickets. Jason Patric is Jay, a taut, seething, bull-shouldered ball of defensive machismo in a blue uniform with a ticket-gun and a hilarious dark mustache. He likes slapping parking tickets on folks the way some LA cops like cracking heads.
The first two thirds or so of the film especially are darkly comedic, and the purposefully stylized elements- lighting, dialogue, supporting actors, visual action, set design, musical score- create a very sharp, bittersweet, somewhat tragic kind of comedy, like the best of the Coen Brothers films. This isn't broad American multiplex comedy, this is comedy that comes from true pathos, sadness and the small calamities of life. While Morton's face shows sensitivity and vulnerability- two of her big strengths- Patric's Jay character is fantastic because he offsets the angry disciplinarian guy with loose moments of real charm and also sarcastic, almost whimsical humor.
The film progresses with a few traditional "plot points" that serve to accelerate the conflicts and create moments of challenge and decision for the characters, but really the film is also greatly a close-up examination of the attempted close relationship of two equally extreme opposites- the "naive, yearning do-gooder" and the "previously injured, prickly, defensive bully." At its core it's just a film about human beings- what they have, what they want and need, and the different places they're coming from emotionally.
Visually, the film was shot in a crisp, almost beautiful way, at once seeming straightforwardly no-nonsense and yet heavily atmospheric. A lot of the production design strongly complements the film- from the richly hued, antique-laden apartment Claire and her Mom live in to the various LA coffee shops and streetscapes. The musical scoring is also highly evocative and appropriate- with the best of it reminding me of great melodic work Michael Penn and Jon Brion did in P.T. Anderson's film 'Hard Eight'.
Ileana Douglas is perfect as Claire's decent-hearted, energetic busybody neighbor and Teri Garr is rock solid as the mute, wheelchair-bound Mom but hilarious and deliciously campy in a second role as the Mom's crazy sister in Pomona! With its strong vision and execution, 'Expired' should certainly put writer/director Cecilia Miniucchi on the Hollywood map. -
GameAndWatch14 October 2013I am not sure if I enjoyed this movie. It's certainly a black comedy. One that is so tragically realistic that it is gut punching.
The acting is superb.
The story is really one of two lonely parking wardens. One of which is lovely and lives with and supports her Mum, the other is quite rude and obnoxious. A jobs-worth who fails to show much compassion, especially for those that arrive at their car even a few seconds late. Both are looking for love and find each other.
The painful thing about this movie is that I can see myself in both of the main characters. Even with their extreme persona's.
Quite an affecting bitter-sweet comic tragedy. I wouldn't recommend taking your girlfriend along to see it on a date night, but if you do, make sure you put enough money in the meter. -
dbborroughs29 December 2008Samantha Morton plays an unmarried meter maid who gets mixed up with Jason Patric another parking officer. Both are severely wounded individuals and their pairing makes for some darkly comic twists and turns.
This is an often odd romantic comedy as the two characters come together and go apart and generally change as the result of the experience. The wrong sort of quirky I found it annoying more than anything else with complications seeming to pop up because they would make the story stand out rather than because its the natural progression of things. For me both of the leads are not particularly appealing and what they do seems more to come from left field then reality (Had they been real I think it could be argued they should be locked up). I won't deny its not a funny film, but I didn't much enjoy it. -
td49016 February 2007I saw "Expired" in Salt Lake City at a regular theater screening. I simply loved it. I had no idea what to expect but my gut instincts told me to go the minute I read that it was about two parking enforcement officers (what a great premise and original idea!!!) and their unusual love affair. Well, first of all, I would like to say that I think this is Jason Patric at his best. This should be his comeback. His character, even if you may at first think he is not that nice of a person, is so well played. He manages to add so much humor and charm to his role and you do understand why she would put up with him. Samantha Morton is also great. She does so much with so little. All from her inside and so settle! It's a powerful, genuine, frank performance by both of them that carries you through the film in such a wonderful way. This film makes you feel so many things all at once: laugh, cry, sorry, uncomfortable, fun! And how can one not relate? We all have been under the spell of the parking tickets people and we all have been in a somewhat unfair relationship. But I do also think that Expired makes you think a lot and makes you realize that we are the victims of our time, with its loneliness and isolation and that this film pushes us all to go out there and get love! Does anyone know who is distributing this wonderful indie and when? I would love for my family and all my friends to see it.
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rich-4948 December 2009This is one of the worst, most depressing movies I have ever seen. It probably holds the Guinness record for inspiring more suicides than any other film ever made. The plot is unrelentingly abusive and painful to watch. The heroine is so self-loathing that she misconstrues perpetual verbal abuse and violent rape as romantic courtship. Her assailant is one of the most loathsome, totally unredeemable characters ever to despoil celluloid. (The coining of the term Schadenfreude easily could have been based on his foul, repellent persona.) I appreciate understated, nuanced performances, but the portrayals in this film never rose above the level of Stephen Hawking reciting the multiplications table. The cinematography is shakier than an 8mm home movie shot by Joe Cocker. The camera jerks from one target to another like the nervous tic of a schizophrenic. If you could give this movie credit for anything, it would be for consistency. It is awful from the first scene, through its entire exposition, and down to its unsatisfying denouement.
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imizrahi200212 August 2008about halfway through this film i came here to see if i should continue... like i said, 'not easy viewing'. granted, i've seen 'harsher' films...slower films...less 'adrenalized' films...and many films that TRY to be this film that, at the end, i sit and wonder, 'WHY did i put myself through THAT?!!?!' but i knew that when i got to the end of this ride, i had come to the end of some brave storytelling... the strong point of this film would seem to be the casting/execution of parts...everyone seems to excel in communicating their part of the story...and it IS both dark and quirky...and designed to not 'coddle' us, unlike so many stories with their eye on success. not that i'm knocking success... but the point, i guess, is that this IS a success although i doubt it will EVER be a best seller... like i said, brave story telling...moments of absurdity(takes comic relief a step further) relief... if you didn't find this comment helpful, why'd you read this far?
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nogodnomasters18 June 2018"THIS IS SO SAD" is a line spoken by Samantha Morton after a failed attempt of love making. I couldn't help but think she was talking about the movie. Asylum, best known for its low budget, badly written, badly produced, and badly filmed horror movies and mockbusters have made an attempt at making a dark comedy. They went out and spent the bucks to get some name actors for a change, sadly they gave Teri Garr a nonspeaking role.
The description on the back of the box "...as Claire must decide weather (sic) to engage or pull away." Sadly, they must have outsourced the creation of the insert to some country where English is not the first language. Jason Patric plays an unlikeable character who has a passion for giving out tickets, berating the people, belittling his date, and masturbating to on-line porn. He meets his opposite in the equally dysfunctional Samantha Morton, whose life is so pathetic, she falls in love with a guy everyone hates.
The love-making scenes are equally pathetic as neither partner is able to achieve satisfaction. I have to wonder what kind of relationship writer-director Cecilia Miniucchi has been involved, in order to be able to write about two unlikeable characters in such a sad, border-line humorous situation (If you see Cecilia, give her a hug.). Illeana Douglas plays the neighbor of Claire and is our "voice of reason" during this movie until she suggests a pajama party.
Most of the humor is recessed. For instance, Claire mentions that you can meet people on the Internet. Jay responds to her remark as if she is making fun of him. Jay takes offense because he masturbates to Internet porn (who does that?) unknown to Claire at the time, or Claire's inability to wear the proper undergarments for her fancy red dress. The scenes between Claire and Jay, at times, makes one feel uncomfortable. Well, maybe not at times, but all the time.
Does LA really give out parking tickets at night and on Christmas? Or was that supposed to be a joke too? The movie contains bad language (Jay likes the f-bomb),sexual language, bad sex scenes, some minor Internet nudity flashes, and vanishing acting careers. Sadly, one of best films produced by Asylum. -
I visit somebody in Utah, and she says, "You're going to be here for Sundance." So? Yes, I have been living under a rock. Movies, movies, movies. Had a great time, but then -- Write a review? OK, so be gentle with me, I'm new at this. My favorite of the four we saw was Expired. Think comedy, but black romantic, but brainy. Some smart dialog, and loved the concept. She's a kind-hearted meter maid (Samantha Morton), takes care of her ailing mother (Terri Garr), and doesn't like having to ticket people. He's that cop from Hell (Jason Patric) who lives to ticket. Her life is full, yet empty. His life is empty, and he's full of it. They're not the most likely pairing, but they hook up and not really knowing how to take the next step, or get over the fear, they dance around each other. The awkward two-step is funny and recognizable. There's a date scene, in particular, that is hilarious. The audience becomes very invested in her, rooting for her salvage operation of him. At the same time, everyone has met him hopefully not on a deserted road at night but here you get to see some good in officer-not-so-friendly. Eventually. In the meantime, his confrontations are a riot and Patric really steals the show. I thought the leads were great, enjoyed the give and take between them. There was definite chemistry there. There aren't many movies I can re-watch, but I'd like to see this again. I've already told a few people that when this comes out, it's a date movie both women and men can enjoy. As a guy, I usually find relationship movies pretty blah, but this one is definitely recommended. On the star scale, 3 of 4. On this 10 point scale, maybe an 8.
Personal note: OK, Jen, I did a review. Now stop texting me about it! -
guestar5730 November 2009Starring: Samantha Morton,Jason Patric . NOT your typical 'love story', But perhaps that makes it more in line to our lives. Jason Patric (Speed 2) absolutely steals this movie with an performance that is real and thought provoking as too "Alpha Male".
Samantha Morton is a good girl and worth more than what she has been given,
And may finally coming into her skin. This is a romance comedy about parking ticket officers and their prey,Unlawful car parkers.
The "Making Of " is amazing when you see what into this Sundance/Cannes favorite. -
crosstown-223 January 2007Expired world-premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival to outstanding reviews. It is probably one of the best reviewed films at the festival. I saw the movie with a thousand plus audience - and all I can say: THIS IS A MUST SEE FILM! Expired is a turbulent love story (to say the very least) between LA parking enforcement officer Claire and LA parking enforcement officer Jay. Simply put, Samantha Morton is outstanding, so is Jason Patrick. With respect to Jason Patrick, most likely his best performance to date. I caught a review in USA today, which says:"Patric plays a violence-prone hot-head, who may be one of the nastiest dinner date since Joe Pesci in Goodfellas." I have to agree. He's something else. Not sure how - what Italian born filmmaker Cecilia Miniucchi did with her actors, the chemistry between the two leads makes everybody in the audience twitch on their seats. What direction!!
When it comes to the theaters, go check out this unlikely romance. You'll see that I wasn't exaggerating one bit. -
dick_lipschitz29 October 2009She must have gotten hold of my registered screenplay 'XPIRED' synopsis somehow or talked to someone. Same film title (almost), same plot, but more of a lame chick flick. I'm am glad she got it made though, The bottom line tells part of the story From BoxOfficeMojo.com TOTAL LIFETIME GROSSES Domestic: $29,796 45.8% + Foreign: $35,207 54.2% = Worldwide: $65,003 So I guess this was an Indie Sundance trial balloon. I might come up with a better one someday that will make some money. I guess the acting was decent enough but was a little too lame to waste time and money to see it and maybe good too watch if you are one of those rainy day depressed moods.
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sn-47 October 2008I saw Expired. It's a fine film. Writer and director, Cecilia Miniucchi, did a superb job, the acting was great. What strikes me, though, is the film's uncanny resemblance to Federico Fellini's La Strada (The Road) starring Anthony Quinn, Giulietta Masina (Fellini's wife), Richard Basehart. Miniucchi said that she purposely cast Samantha Morton as the lead. I think she did so because Morton resembles Giulietta Masina. She has the same big sad eyes and innocent face. Jason Patric is the rugged emotionally crude Anthony Quinn.
In La Strada, Quinn buys Mesina from her family and takes her away in his THREE WHEEL Motorcyle caravan to help him with his little strong man road show. Mesina must beat a drum and proclaim, "Zampano is here," in each small town.
In Expired, Jason Patric, takes Claire on the road (to Pomona) in a THREE WHEEL traffic cop's vehicle.
There are a number of similar scenes throughout Expired. But in the end, Patric, like Quinn, is too crude to earn Morton's love. In La Strada, Quinn abandons Mesina, only to discover her spirit in a seaside town. The confrontation undoes him and the end of the film shows him weeping on his knees next to the sea. -
joakimsjohem10 September 2017The story revolves around fellow parking officers Claire and Jay, who find they have a need for one another. She, a shy and good- hearted woman stuck at home with her sick mother. He, a frustrated, bitter loner with an estranged son and seemingly without any friends. The film examines the forming of a complicated romantic relationship between two people who has fallen between the cracks.
I was intrigued by the premise of this film starring two very capable actors in Samantha Morton and Jason Patric. Expecting a quirky comedic take on life and love in the lives of two parking officers. And I guess that that's what I got. Only a poorly executed one. Both Morton and Patric performed well above the writing doing what they could with what little they got. To my understanding this was writer/director Cecilia Miniucchis' second feature film and that makes me wonder what she learned from her first go at it with "Normality" (1988). The film has no sense of narrative progression leaving me dissatisfied with the story. In some cases, that's not a problem but rather something positive. In this case however, because of the lack of depth found in the main characters, it's crucial.
Expired: ultimately, a waste of time. -
This movie was absolutely wonderful. At times hard to watch because it was so honest, it had humor, sadness, well rounded characters and was unique. Jason Patric was fantastic, the best performance I've ever seen from him. How he managed to get us to like him even though he was such an awful human being is a testament to his fine acting. I was not as impressed with Samantha Morton's performance but they work off each other so wonderfully and have such chemistry that you can't help but love them together and it works. Illeana Douglas was terrific too... you wonder why you don't see her working more.
Just loved it. I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't like this movie other than they just don't get it. -
raymondmansfield25 January 2007I got the opportunity to attend the Sundance Film Festival for the first time this year. There were a lot of films to choose from and its difficult to decide which ones to attend. I had heard this movie was a dark comedy, like a 'Your Friends and Neighbors', which I thought was hilarious, so I went to check it out. It ended up being probably my favorite film of the festival. It had me cracking up the whole time and was so unexpected. It was one of those great experiences where you go in without expectations and leave the theater as if you discovered something.
I'm happy I got the chance to see it. -
jbr0003315 February 2007Ever since I saw EXPIRED at its premiere at Sundance, a few weeks ago, I haven't been able to get it out my mind. The two main characters, played by Samantha Morton and Jason Patric, are so real, so funny, so honest and so human and so well performed that they went deep into my heart. I wish all independent films were this honest, this intelligent, this well written and directed and this human. I can't wait to see it again in the theaters and no wonder why it got the best reviews at Sundnace! The story is so simple and yet so captivating. The essence of this original love story among these two people, whom I have never seen portrayed in such an original way on the screen before, is universal. We can all relate to it. ASnd learn from it too! Go people, go to see it when it comes out and let the film take you into a heart felt journey of passion, hurt, love, goodness and surprise.
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stensson16 August 2008She starts by telling us she is the most hated in the world. That's because of her profession, but her attitude towards life is really much like the hated one. This woman, Claire, is shy, a loser, and she doesn't expect to be anything else. But there really isn't anything tragic about it.
Then this man turns up. An emotional invalid and an impossible love relation starts. These are people who don't take anything for granted. He's aggressive about it, she isn't.
Samantha Morton is tremendous in this part as a completely non-boring bore. She teaches us that you can live a life without success. And that life is a true one.