Movie Reviews: Right Kind of Wrong

Local extras at Right Kind of Wrong premiere
C. Davis photo

The Right Kind of Wrong

Rated 14 A sexual content

Stars: Ryan Kwanten and Sara Canning
Director: Jeremiah S. Chechik
Running time: 97 minutes

Showing October 11 - 17 at Pincher Creek's Fox Theatre

7:10 and 9:10 Friday, Saturday and Tuesday

7:10 only on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday

2:00 Monday matinee

• Alberta Locations used in the film: Calgary, Banff, Canmore, Fortress Mountain, Pincher Creek 
• Majority of the crew and supporting cast were from Alberta, including extras from Pincher Creek area

Warning: Mild spoilers ahead

She said

• Pluses: Local talent, beautiful people, sharp writing, funny, gorgeous cinematography.
• Minuses: Cartoon villains,  detrimental or childish behavior that has no consequences.

Toni Lucas, Pincher Creek Voice

 'The Right Kind of Wrong' opened at Pincher Creek's Fox Theatre on October 11.  The movie was filmed partially in and around Pincher Creek and Canmore Alberta.  Many of the extras from the Pincher Creek area came out to see the movie's first showing here, ranging in age from about 10 years old to adults.

The movie opens with a couple sitting at opposite ends of the table, having what appears to be breakfast.  The first words are uttered by the woman that turns out to be his spouse.  "I'm writing a blog about how much you suck." 

Ouch.  As a preamble, that let me know exactly at what point their relationship was at.  The very, very pointed end.  The story is about her husband Leo, played by Ryan Kwanten.  Leo is employed as a dishwasher, he's a failed writer, his wife leaves him and has a monumental success with her blog that explains to the world every detail of every failing she ever saw in Leo.  He is in the depths of despair.

Then he meets the woman of his dreams.  She is beautiful, she is athletic, she is determined.  She is also the bride at a wedding happening across the street from his home.  "Everyone has baggage," Leo says.  He spends much of the plot trying to win her. In his mind she should leave her wealthy, handsome, civic minded, successful new husband to be with him.

I personally don't agree with the vehicle they forward the movie with.  Some call it the determined pursuer.  On a restraining order, it would be labeled as stalking.  Even our heroine called him on it.  

It used humour and subtle and not so subtle exaggeration to point out that everyone in the cast has flaws.  There was not a lot of character development with some of the secondary characters, so they seemed a bit two dimensional.  Some rose above that, as was the case of Maya Samy and Mateen Devji who portrayed the brother sister team Pia and Ravi.  Most were very believable as their character.

 A combination of sharp writing and great casting with excellent delivery had people in the audience chortling throughout.    Some of the content was of an adult nature, which made some of those who brought their children (most of whom were extras in the movie) a bit uncomfortable. Gorgeous landscapes were evident throughout the show. 

As for our hero Leo, we all know it is always darkest before the dawn.  Living here in an area where they chose to film parts of this movie we know that the dawn can be magnificent.

Catherine O'Hara and Shani Litchfield on set
Photo courtesy of Shani Litchfield

After the showing Shani Litchfield spoke about being an extra in the movie.  She was happy that she did make it to the screen.  You see her hair flick off of the screen during an important scene.  "I saw my hair flip, I had princess Barbie hair, and I was in a couple of background scenes, but not close." said Litchfield.  "It was amazing.  I made great friendships, it was so much fun.  It wasn't like work."  Litchfield was on set for one week in 2012 during the filming.  

"It was fun to watch," she said about the show.  "We were expecting it to be a little bit risque, and we didn't bring the kids for that reason, but it was funny."  

He said 

• Pluses: Romantic cats and a magical bear, wit, chemistry, scenery, local extras
• Minuses: Stalker gets girl, predictable

Chris Davis, Pincher Creek Voice

First of all, it should be made clear that Right Kind of Wrong earns it's 14A rating due to some sexually implicit material.  It's probably best to leave the kids at home for this one.  If they don't get certain jokes you probably don't want to be the one to explain them, and if they do there's a good chance you don't want to know.  Why violence is more acceptable and less cringe-worthy than overt sexuality in our entertainments is a whole other article...

Right Kind of Wrong revolves around a fairly stereotypical Hollywood conceit, that stalking is okay if you actually get the girl at the end.  It's a plot device I've never really been fond of.  Boy chases girl is indeed a basic part of our psycho-sexual makeup as a species, indeed is common throughout the animal kingdom, but in real life our hero in this one is actually a stalker.  In reality it's not cool to crash a wedding because you think the bride is hot.  As a result I found it difficult at times to suspend my disbelief in the validity of Leo Palomino's quest.  However, actor Ryan Kwanten was quite convincing and engaging in the role. Sara Canning is the actress playing his love interest Colette, and the two of them spark on the screen, which made it easier to forgive the author's thematic conceit and instead concentrate on the many things that make this movie work.

First and foremost among those things is the cast.  Most of the supporting roles intertwine with the plot in understated ways, which made the various friendships and animosities seem more real somehow.  It must be said: I love Love LOVE Catherine O'Hara (we go way back, she just doesn't know it), and her performance in this movie as Colette's mother is low-key but very charming.  Will Sasso plays the same basic character Will Sasso always plays, and that's alright with me.  Kristen Hager doesn't get much screen time but she makes the most of it.  Raoul Bhaneja plays Mandeep, and he was probably my favourite surprise in this movie, a convincing and gentle performance that made the most of an otherwise slight role.  Maya Samy plays his daughter Pia, and she steals the scene anytime she's got a closeup.  Mateen Devji is equally effective as Ravi, Pia's brother.

The bad guys in this movie, well, they're Canadian bad guys, not U.S. bad guys.  They don't talk smack much or shoot up the place or get caught with hookers, but they do dress well and drive expensive and environment-unfriendly vehicles. Sometimes they forget to say thank you.  And they're not really the point of this film but are instead a necessary plot element. The female antagonist is Palomino's ex, and she's the baddest of the bad guys: she has a blog and wrote a book.  Scary stuff, kiddies.

It is in fact this plot device, the ex-wife's blog that excoriates our hero for the amusement of the masses, that brings one of the freshest elements to the plot.

This is really a date movie.  Even a First Date movie.  As such, it's quite memorable.  The scenery is terrific, the sex is understated, relatively (and perhaps educational for the fellas), it's witty throughout (I laughed a lot),  the characters are engaging,  and it is truly charming in places.

It was also fun to hear people in the audience when they saw themselves or people they know up on the big screen.  Hint: a big party scene is full of local talent, with some close-ups even.

The two cats in the movie have the most realistic romantic plot line.  Extra points for some subtle scripting there.   Gentle lovers separated without warning by the cruel hand of fate and the insensitivity of a human master, they battle ennui and a magical bear to be finally reunited as the curtain closes.  Huzzah!

Bottom line: Don't bring the kids.  Do bring a date.  Hold hands and enjoy.  Don't run back to the office and write a review.

Final note:  I'm still wondering how Leo Palomino manages to ALWAYS have a 4 or 5 day growth of hair on his face, every day.  It's probably some more pronounced form of Don Johnsonitis.