Unlike most city parking meters, Expired hasn’t… The film is about parking enforcement officers (to some “boetabessies”)… you know, the people that stick pretty pink tickets on your windscreen. It may look all sweet and innocent like Jodie Foster in Taxi Driver, but don’t be fooled… it’s an indie film in the league of Punch Drunk Love and He Was a Quiet Man. Expired may not be as fresh as Chinese take out or Farmer Brown’s eggs, but it’s just as enjoyable, spicy and thought-provoking.

Most people see movies because they want to escape their own realities. Now trying to “escape” isn’t as dirty as it used to be in the ’50s, but Expired seems intent on making the word a little dirtier again. The film seems like the set up for a quirky “romcom” from the outset, but the very presence of Samantha Morton and Jason Patric would suggest otherwise… I mean come on, her lips are nothing like Meg Ryan’s!?

Catch the rest of the review and the trailer after the jump…

Expired tells the story of Claire (Morton) and Jay (Patric), two much-hated Los Angeles parking enforcement officers, who begin a shaky relationship, which develops into some turbulent, explosive and prickly comedic scenarios involving colleagues, family and one of those 3-wheel hot pursuit vehicles as they both seek meaning and intimacy in their dead-end lives. Not exactly a first date movie now is it?

Morton is a serious actress, and apart from that twins-in-the-hot-tub scene in Minority Report opposite Tom Cruise, she tends to go for challenging roles. Jason Patric is the wild card, dark horse and A-grade “asshole” in Expired. He’s a mixture of Will Ferrell in Anchorman and Thomas Lennon in Reno 911 – and he’s come a long way since the days of Speed 2: Cruise Control. Sandra Bullock managed to haul herself out of that ship wreckage to win a Golden Globe for The Blind Side this year. While Patric has gathered momentum with this performance, which as far as dinner dates go has been compared with Joe Pesci in Goodfellas. Was he tapping into his own persona or was he just pretending to be Roger Moore as James Bond… I can’t decide.

“There Ain’t No Such Thing As Free Parking”

Expired ripples with subtle comedy. It’s more of a dramedy really… starting out sweet and fun like Paul Blart: Mall Cop and then coming in with the left hook, delivering a strong dose of Observe & Report’s acidic humour. It’s funny at times, but I wouldn’t describe it as easy viewing. The audience is roped into some fairly tense, emotional turmoil as prickly, sometimes dark comedy filters through the relationships and real-life situations. Relatively unknown writer-director, Cecilia Miniucchi delves deeper into her characters, extracting a soulful performance from Morton and a performance akin to an angry, straight-faced Ben Stiller from Jason Patric.

Miniucchi unhinges the camera, allowing it to rove, swirl and shift its attention, much like a bystander. This emphasises the voyeuristic perspective, keeps the audience involved and allows more flow with longer shots. Expired’s offbeat sense of direction, subject matter and overall feel is a lot like Punch Drunk Love, starring Adam Sandler and He Was a Quiet Man, with Christian Slater. The explosive anger, on-and-off romance and feelings of inadequacy are similar to Punch Drunk Love. While Patric’s breakthrough performance mimics Slater’s, grappling serious issues in an unconventional yet funny way.

The setting is Christmas time, the decorations are blinking and the mail order industry is flourishing. The mousy decor represents Claire’s life, committed to her mute, wheelchair-bound mother and holding onto every little bit of sentiment that comes her way. She’s a complete opposite to Jay, whose devastating personal life, cold bachelor pad and sexual frustration may as well be tattooed on his forehead. Their only commonality is that they’re both lonely and opposites attract (and repel) as the two clash in a funny, yet sad set of interactions.

Expired is loaded with bad language and some uncomfortable scenes (think There’s Something About Mary), so unfortunately it’s not the feel-good movie of the decade. It is however, a good choice if you’re looking for some mental and emotional stimulation (easy…). Expired falls into the same category as Napoleon Dynamite… defying genres, developing instant cult appeal and sitting on the fence for you to throw rocks at or admire. As mentioned, it’s out of the ordinary, something different, somewhat chewy and tastes good, even though you know you probably shouldn’t have ordered Chinese take out.

The bottom line: Sweet ‘n Sour.

Release Date: 18 January, 2010

Watch the Expired Trailer

Now available to rent at your local video store.
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