11:14

This movie, the first feature length film written and directed by Greg Marcks, has a fervent following online. These fans can't fathom why the film didn't see theatrical release and why more people aren't lining up to rent the dvd.

I am here to let these people in on a secret - '11:14' is not a good movie. Yes, it has plenty of mindfucks of the 'huh? Oh, yeah, I guess that makes sense' variety, but there's so little character development here that it's hard to see a story on screen instead of a puzzle. Personality traits are not personalities, and though Patrick Swayze does a decent job of creating something more than what's been written for him, the rest of the cast don't even try. Hilary Swank suffers more than most - she is likeable but unbelievable in her role as a teenager (no, those shiny braces on her teeth aren't enough), but it's her role as Executive Producer that's truly confusing.

Marcks' directing is solid as far as the look of the film, but without a story any deeper than 'then this happens, then this happens,' all the effort is wasted.

(Nitpicky but true - for a movie as obsessed with precise timing as this one, it's unforgivable that the audience is asked to make several large leaps in logic, i.e. activities which would take up half an hour at the very least are shown to have occured in mere minutes here).

NO (3/10)