11:14 (2005)

Wow! Such a good movie.

I saw this movie before reading any reviews, and I thought it was very funny. I was very surprised to see the overwhelmingly negative reviews this film received from critics.

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

'11:14' is one of those films that is destined to have a 'cult following.' Although, to date, I have yet to find any evidence of it achieving this honour. I loved it right from the word go and frequently try and recommend it to many a friend, only for them to look at me blankly as if I'm speaking a foreign language. I suppose I can see why... it's certainly not your average Hollywood film and it's a little hard to describe.I'll try and 'sell' it in as few words as possible: It's a film containing around four (seemingly unrelated) stories all set in the same time one night, all of which begin approximately 15-20 minutes before 11:14pm . What we see is the built-up of events in each tale, all of which come together at the titular time. Yes, I know - that synopsis hardly blows your mind. But, please, bear with me...It's really good! Or rather it's really good if you like stories like that. If you're looking for something to watch in the background, or you have a habit of checking your Instagram account on your phone while you 'watch' a movie then you're probably best off glossing over this one. It really is a story that needs to be properly watched to be properly appreciated. As each story ends, times rewinds around half an hour for the next story to begin. Each new set of characters then goes some way to shed light on the questions you're left with from the previous story, until - finally - all loose ends are tied up by the time the credits roll.Plus it has an excellent cast. I know Patrick Swayze will always be remembered for 'Dirty Dancing/Ghost/Point Break,' but he's pretty damn good here. And, although Hillary Swank will probably never win another Oscar for her role here, she's also an excellent addition to the cast. The you have Colin (son of Tom) Hanks and a fair few other familiar faces you've probably seen here or there.Perhaps, ultimately, whether or not you're going to enjoy '11:14' rests on whether you're into severely black comedy. Yes, as the stories unfold, the body-count rises (and that's not including 'intimate' appendages that are severed in some freak accident. So, if you fancy taking a break from watching superheroes flying round a major city killing aliens and want to watch something that forces you to actually watch it and take in what's happening, then - seriously - give this one a go. And I will continue to do my best to 'plug' it as, even without the 'cult following' it really is a hidden gem of a movie (plus it's not that long - if that goes any way to sway your opinion).

Tarantino put it best: Write a good script, and you can afford to damn the torpedoes. 11:14 does exactly that.There's too much to say about it. Production is warm, cozy, perfectly fine. All actors took direction very, very well.But it all rests on the script; a treasure chest of delights, from organization and character, to superbly modulated language register, to a surprising denouement, which (mild spoiler; which you may welcome, as it could aid yr delectation) extremely cleverly sets forth an almost clinically even-steven character mix and then catapults one character into the fore by story's end.Left all warm and fuzzy when I regard the notable star power that (a la Pulp Fiction) likely forewent their usual rates to help breathe life into such a worthy script.Definitely check it out. American film needs more like this.

I loved this low budget thriller, which plays around with narrative in much the same way as PULP FICTION and to just as good effect – albeit on a much smaller budget. The story is told from five different points of view of characters who converge together in a small town on one fateful night. It's a darkly humorous film with plenty of odd, did-I-just-see-that incidents going on, and the writing is so intricate, so fresh and intriguing that I don't think anyone could dislike it.Thinking back over this film now, I can't help but chuckle at many of the sequences. The best, by far, involves Patrick Swayze as a dedicated dad attempting to 'clean up' after his daughter. Just the thought of him chasing after that darn dog through the storm drain…great stuff indeed. Elsewhere, we get a hilarious and unusual turn from Hilary Swank as a dim-witted convenience store employee who somehow becomes embroiled in…well, I won't say it, but it had me in stitches. Henry Thomas puts his E.T. days far behind him as a drunk driver, Colin Hanks displays some of the convincing talent that made his dad a star, and Ben Foster has one of those outlandish/OTT roles (like the one in HOSTAGE) before he hit the big time.I'm guessing this is a 'love it or hate it' type of film. Some, like me, will be drawn into the bizarre and intense situations. Others will dismiss this as an overly-complex, small scale drama featuring people who are on screen for too short a time to really like or care about. But I thought it was great, it's a film that really 'spoke' to me and one of those I could watch over and over again.

It is 11:14pm, an accident happens. Different people cross paths on the road, and all of them play their part in the accident. The movie tells us the partial stories of each of the parts involved, how the actions of each of them lead to what happens at the beginning and end of the film. The movie is a presented as a puzzle in which all the pieces are assembled when the film ends. A second frozen in time and dissected for the benefit of the viewer.This is a dark thrilling movie, full of action, with a great mood and tempo, very engaging and never dull. The movie has no pity with its own characters, all of them depicted as mean, nasty, stupid and/or untruthful, deserving of the drama that unfolds during the night. Just some of the secondary characters are neutral or good.All actors are OK in their respective roles. Two of them especially shine: Hillary Swank, who really nails her role as red-neck shop attendant, and Rachael Leigh Cook is terrific as the nasty Lolita around which all the story, directly or indirectly, revolves.The movie is entertaining with a round story that will keep you glued to your chair. Its only problem is the mediocrity of the dialogs, and that the characters have no dramatic depth, but, well, you cannot expect depth from a thriller.