Hello Carter, 2013.
Written and Directed by Anthony Wilcox.
Starring Charlie Cox, Annabelle Wallis, Jodie Whittaker and Paul Schneider.
SYNOPSIS:
Down-on-his-luck Carter has recently become homeless, single and unemployed. Desperate to win back his ex-girlfriend, he goes off on an adventure throughout London to find her, picking up some odd helpers along the way.
From the way the synopsis reads, it’s completely understandable to think that this film sounds like several other chase-across-town style films. Like many of those films, this isn’t anything special and at times is just plain boring.
The first time we meet Carter, he’s trying to sleep on his brothers living room floor, unable to sleep due to the loud, happy moans and wails emanating from the bedroom area. Unfortunately, this is the funniest moment in the film. What follows is generic, formulaic and almost entirely without humour.
The main problem with the film is that it doesn’t really know what it is trying to be. At some moments it’s trying to be a raucous comedy with lots of laughs, the next it almost seems to be a bittersweet tale of a lonely man trying to find meaning in his life. The end result is an incredibly muddled work that too often finds you checking your watch to see how long is left.
Another large problem is the fact that Carter doesn’t particularly evoke any empathy whatsoever, only pity. We watch as he plods through his day and, due to a complete lack of charisma, we just don’t care about him and his troubles at all – something that effectively ruins any chance this film has of generating a few fans.
The next lead character Aaron is also criminally underutilised and underplayed. From the way he’s presented, he’s meant to be the ‘funny one’ of the film but due to a total lack of effort, many of the attempted laughs can barely muster a smile.
Simply put, this film is just another poor attempt at something that’s been done time and time again. With very few likeable characters, a dodgy script and poor pacing, I’d definitely recommend that you have a look somewhere else for your giggle-fix.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ / Movie: ★ ★
Ozzy Armstrong is a Stargate and Rocky superfan. Follow him on Twitter.
Originally published October 11, 2013. Updated April 11, 2018.
