Con Job

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James W Comedies come in all shapes and sizes. In this case, director Ian Niles along with co-writer Guy Harry have concocted a “conedy” that may well have been entitled Death Do Reveal Us. At the centre of it all is a plot hatched by two best friends, Chris (done up with appropriate manic zest by Niles) and Angus (Menuhin Hart milks his lines with appropriate bravado, unabashed lies and faux emotion as needed) trying to get a land transfer notarized to make a fortune unbeknownst to the other principals involved. Most important of those is Angus’ estranged brother, Tim (while spending a lot of his time sound asleep—through no fault of his own—Dean Edwards delivers a nuanced performance adding much-needed tension to the plot). In a much smaller role (but key to the swindle), aging notary, Rhonda (played with just the right touch of She Who Must Be Obeyed by Carolyn Sieff) dots the “i’s” and crosses the “t’s” in an unexpected way—her seal may well be the death of her. Lurking in the narrative weeds are physical trainer/crooked notary with a sack full of illegal supplements to sell (Aaron Berg readily looks the part), favoured henchman “Evil” Jeff (ideally portrayed—especially when he literally tries to take stage—by T.L. Flint) who can’t abide mockery, especially from his friends, and duty-bound Officer Mitchell (a no-nonsense, authoritative take from Crystal Ward). Gluing the annotated scenes together is the music: snippets from Beethoven and Vivaldi balanced by more contemporary fare—especially the last hurrah where the lyrics bring a whole new meaning to “fucking credits”! Yet along the scenic journey, there are a lot of bits that seem more to function like filling the time than moving the plot forward: a brother being lured back home from Thailand to act as his best man for a non-existent wedding (all the better to forge the legal documentation), a steakhouse delivery (DeliverUS) that results in a backseat tryst with the comely driver (Julia Schweitzer is all winks and thievery), an over-the-top barf eruption that lands with deadly effect, goat semen (say no more), and a fake vodka bottle of the highest order. Viewers of a certain age or state of mind (not unlike several of the principals) will enjoy every bit of this and laugh with glee at the ever-mounting incongruities. No worries; no harm done. And the release of this film with many ‘fake” components is certainly at one with the times. Perhaps best of show is the finale where the film ends with a murder mystery rather, so much more typically, than begin with one. Do enjoy as much or as little as you are able, then look to the final set of lyrics to unravel the last death to your satisfaction. JWR Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/29/24 Full Review Bob B Very funny. I couldn't stop laughing. Worth watching for sure. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 10/25/24 Full Review Read all reviews

Con Job

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