In a sleepy bedroom community of LA's San Fernando Valley, the murder of a professional athlete by two hit men sets into motion a chain of events that puts the mundane lives of a dozen residents on a collision course. This clever tale tells the story of two hit men, a mistress, a nurse, a vindictive ex-wife, a wealthy art dealer and his lovelorn assistant, a suicidal writer and his dog, and a bitter cop and his partner.
There are too many characters, but some are a lot of fun. The tone shifts, from graphic murder to wig-flipping farce, are too extreme, but much of it works.
– Jack Mathews,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb 2001
fresh:
Funny, pathetic, sad, absurdist -- writer-director John Herzfeld plays it any number of ways, and makes them all work.
– Mick LaSalle,
San Francisco Chronicle,
18 Jun 2002
fresh:
A sleek, amusingly nasty screen debut by a film maker whose television credits include an Amy Fisher docudrama.
– Stephen Holden,
New York Times,
20 May 2003
rotten:
Herzfeld has a tolerable eye for filling a 'Scope frame but a tin ear when it comes to creating dialogue; these are all characters we've met before, and most even seem bored with themselves.
– Jonathan Rosenbaum,
Chicago Reader,
16 Apr 2008
fresh:
To the director's credit, the actors all seem responsive to his touch, giving performances that are lively and flavorsome, if not deep or unlike anything each of them has done before.