Review of Expired (2007) by Walter M — 13 Nov 2010

In "Expired," Claire(Samantha Morton) takes care of her invalid mother(Teri Garr) while working as a meter maid. That job has its share of dangers like arguments with drivers, awkward encounters with ex-boyfriends and being hit by cars. After recuperating from one such accident, she meets Jay(Jason Patric), a co-worker who takes a much more agressive stance towards the job. That does not stop him from having his own awkward encounter with his estranged son(Jonny Mack) who is about to have his CD released and whom he tickets, anyway. But then they will let anybody on MTV these days.

Samantha Morton proved years ago that she can personally elevate any movie she is in, especially the mostly abominable "Minority Report." And that's also true with the otherwise unremarkable "Expired," that feels a little incomplete, to which she excels against the one-note performance of Jason Patric. In a switch, Claire is nowhere near as lonely as she might seem while Jay relies on phone sex and pornography for most of his interpersonal relations. That having been said, the movie's message is being kind can make the world a better place. Don't get me wrong. It's a worthy thought but strange coming from a movie about characters doling out parking tickets.(Apparently, you only get ticketed when you are about to return to your car.) As much as not ticketing somebody may be considered a good deed, remember that the money collected does go to the public good.