Slingshot (2004)

 

Picture: C+     Sound: C+     Extras: D     Film: C-

 

 

Indie dramas that try to be realistic about “the streets” too often wallow in the world they believe they are boldly portraying.  One of the best examples of how bad that can get is Jay Alaimo’s little-seen 2004 effort Slingshot.  Here, we get David Arquette playing yet another semi-wiseass street guy t6eaqming up with an old friend (Balthazar Getty) to rob from rich middle class women who are not getting the sex they need.

 

Yes, it is that simple.  Then things become complicated by other desperates they meet and Getty’s character becomes interested in the daughter (Thora Birch) of their latest target (Julianna Margulies) but not before a remarkably large number of dumb showoff scenes that wastes just about everyone in the long 90 minutes of this ea remarkably large number of dumb showoff scenes that wastes just about everyone in the long 90 minutes of this exercise of melodramatic misfires.  Maybe if it had the guts to stick with the leads being cold and greedy, there would have been a story.  As it stands, the flashbacks are as superfluous as the title, nothing of which pays off.

 

The anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image is soft and lacks depth, while color is limited and grain/noise can be annoying.  The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix just spreads out the low-budget simple stereo which has all kinds of odd sonic limits without sounding too old.  There are no extras.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo