Review: Wake (2009)

[Steve Rhodes]

WAKE
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2009 Steve Rhodes

RATING (0 TO ****):  ***

>From its opening sequences, Ellie Kanner's WAKE appears that to be headed 
straight for some black comedy a la HAROLD AND MAUDE, but, since WAKE's 
writer Lennox Wisele said at our screening that she had never seen HAROLD 
AND MAUDE, any parallels are unintentional.

Actually, the movie that WAKE most mimics is that of THE WEDDING CRASHERS 
with a bit of the creepy KISSED thrown in for good measure.  When we meet 
Carys, she is a dead woman, lying on a table in the preparation room at a 
funeral home.  We watch Carys as Shane (Danny Masterson, "That 70s Show") 
applies her make-up.  What we might not expect is that she isn't dead after 
all.  She is just a girl obsessed with all aspects of the funeral industry. 
However, she doesn't take her weird proclivities quite as far as Sandra 
Larson (Molly Parker) did in KISSED.  There is no attempt at sexual 
relations with the deceased.

Bijou Phillips (ALMOST FAMOUS) delivers a consistent and easily likeable 
performance as Carys.  Although she appears in almost every scene, Phillips 
isn't the star of basically a one-person production.  She is surrounded by a 
large cast that you've seen in many television series, including Jane 
Seymour ("Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman"), Sprague Grayden ("Jericho"), Kevin 
Alejandro ("Shark") and David Zayas ("Dexter").  Everyone on the set clearly 
had a good time, and their fun easily transfers to the audience.

While WAKE is no laugh-riot, it is a film that will have you smiling along 
with it.  The movie starts off with its quirkiest and weirdest scenes, but 
shortly thereafter switches gears, becoming a more traditional comedy about 
misconstrued intentions and hidden identities.

Carys, who lost her sister a long time ago, attempts to find consolation by 
crashing funerals.  Actually, we only witness her doing this once, which is 
at the funeral of Anna.  Tyler, Anna's fiancé, wants to know how Carys knew 
Anna.  Of course, Carys has trouble making up the right lie to convince 
Tyler, but, as Carys's prevarications multiply, she falls in love with him. 
Ian Somerhalder, the brother who loved his twin sister too much in "Lost", 
plays Tyler.

"Have you ever had an unusual hobby?" Carys asks Tyler in one of her many 
failed attempts to extricate herself from her lies.  Every time she tries to 
come clean with him, something gets in her way.  Meanwhile, she begins to 
suspect that all is not right with Tyler.  Carys's roommate, the 
ever-distrustful Lila (Marguerite Moreau, "The O.C."), warns Carys to 
"expect the worst" from Tyler.

WAKE is a breezy comedy that doesn't ask much of its audience other than 
relaxing and going with the flow.  Although its opening sequence is a bit 
shocking, the rest of the movie is a more traditional comedy with the 
enjoyment coming from watching a carefully assembled ensemble cast work 
together.

WAKE runs a quick 1:37.  The film is not yet rated but would probably be 
PG-13 and would be acceptable for kids around 10 and up.

The film was shown as the opening night film of San Jose's Cinequest Film 
Festival (www.Cinequest.org), which runs February 25-March 8, 2009.

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