Review of Waydowntown (2002) by Corey B — 05 Apr 2010

Grade: D.

Waydowntown takes place in an unnamed urban metropolis that is in large part connected by walkways, so that if one wished, one could work, eat, play and (supposedly) live, without going outside; that is the bet that 4 office workers (3 guys, 1 girl) make with one another for one months' salary, to see who can go longest without going outside. The film doesn't go into describing the real logic behind this, but offers up a sense of the breaking points that the characters are approaching on this particular day at work, as they long for escape from this architectural maze/barricade.

The characters are Tom, Sandra, Randy, and Curt, and they all are seen going through their own ways of coping with the task. The problem is most of the dialogue is bland, and not really insightful. The best part of the film is a character role by Don McKellar, as the person sharing Tom's office. Tom (Fab Filippo) is the main character, a guy who smokes weed on the job and who also happens to be the most boring, juvenile, and obvious character imaginable, the kind of kid you just want to smack, and tell to smarten up; the film tries to show us how stoned this character is, but it's just overacted and overemphasised. The jokes are few and far between as well, and the obvious and repeated insights are actually quite lame and all on the surface.

Don McKellar's character is a loner who is preparing to commit suicide, and while it's not the best material, McKellar makes the most of it and gets a few laughs. His deadpan acting always hits the right note with me, and here is no different, even if everything else is in shambles.

The film has a group of supporting characters, including the requisite mall security guard. There are a couple other people, but they go from just rarely funny to flat out lame. The plot begins with the idea that it will take itself somewhat seriously, but most of the situations devolve into cliché conversations with obvious, conflict avoiding, cop-out exit strategies; this is because the film can't think of anywhere better to go, I presume. The film is content with wrapping its abysmal plot up as hastily as possible, regardless of how obviously contrived it is. Most of the film just revolves around the characters as they go through the motions of their obvious problems and errands, which have them running around this big mall/office complex. The film at times reminded me of an old episode of Saved by the Bell, without the consistent humour.

This is another Canadian film I am reviewing, this one by Gary Burns. This film won best Canadian Film at the Toronto International Film Festival, which blows my mind. I saw this film for free, and I wouldn't suggest you pay to see it. It feels like it was made by a man whom when he was 15 year old was daydreaming about escaping his dreadful classroom, and imagined that a superhero came and freed all the schoolchildren trapped within with all of the dreaded text-books. I guess the fifteen year old grew up and got a dead-end office job, and figured he could translate that same daydream to his adult life. Too bad he didn't make the story more interesting and "adult" in the process.