FILM-FORWARD.COMReviews of Recent Independent, Foreign, & Documentary Films in Theaters and DVD/Home Video
A MAN'S GOTTA DO
Eddy, a middle-aged, belly-bulging father and husband, is not particularly
in touch, literally or figuratively, with his female side. He is barely able
to converse with his daughter, smells of his job as a fisherman, and
moonlights as a hit man debt collector. And with a sexually frustrated wife and a daughter
increasingly
depressed by the disappearance of her fiancé, Eddy's role as the protective head of his home is
under
siege.
Dominic (Gyton Grantley), a young and clumsy, but sincere co-worker has the
simplicity of insight to suggest to Eddy he should get to know his daughter
better. So Eddy persuades Dominic to trawl inside his daughter Chantelle's diary
for any information that may help him to reconnect with her and get her out of
her doldrums. Although they recognize their action as subterfuge, getting
the job done is the goal, and in Eddy's philosophy, "A man's
gotta do what a man's gotta do." However, while Eddy gets the inside scoop
on his daughter's secrets, the knowing Chantelle uses a little bait and
tackle of her own. The more the men discover, the more they wish they didn't
know.
Portraying Eddy with jovial gruffness, John Howard nicely blends a rough
exterior with his inner teddy-bear, but his thick accent makes it difficult,
at times, to understand what he is saying. Although the title suggests that
the film will focus mostly on Eddy, it is Alyssa McClelland as Chantelle who
also shines, exuding a tender defiance perfect for her character. The
supporting roles are also well-played.
Although the film is charming, the screenplay and direction don't always
mine the comic prospects of the premise, often making character interactions
feel like one-liner vignettes. This adds a quirkiness that works for the
story, but makes the overall humor less realized than if the conflicts were explored more fully.
That said, the film's warm-heartedness
comes through, and though you know predictably that everything will be set
right in the end, it remains appealing nevertheless. Max Rennix, actor & writer based in New York
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