In Search of a Midnight Kiss (2007)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Alex Holdridge

Writer:

Alex Holdridge (writer)

Release Date:

1 August 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

It's not just another kiss

Plot:

Broke and alone on New Year's Eve, Wilson (Scoot McNairy) just wants to spend the rest of a very bad year in bed. But, when his best friend convinces him to post a personal ad, he meets a woman (Sara Simmonds) bent on finding the right guy to be with at midnight.

Plot Keywords:

Breasts | New Year's Eve | Black And White | Loneliness | Vulgarity

Awards:

2 wins

US Showtimes:

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Cast

Scoot McNairy	...	Wilson
Sara Simmonds	...	Vivian
Brian McGuire	...	Jacob
Kathleen Luong	...	Min
Twink Caplan	...	Wilson's Mother
Robert Murphy	...	Jack
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ann Chatterton	...	Neighbor #2
Cindy Drummond	...	Neighbor #1
Nic Harcourt	...	Radio DJ
Justin Huen	...	Neptune
Sandra Lindqvist	...	Craig's List Caller
Tony Morgan	...	Guy on Answering Machine
Via Osgood	...	Karen
Bret Roberts	...	Bui

Runtime:

USA:90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Certification:

Ireland:16

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Company:

Midnight Kiss Productions (II)

Goofs:

Factual errors: If Wilson's mom is in Florida, she shouldn't be toasting the New Year at the same time as Los Angelenos. She'd be 3 hours late.

Movie Connections:

References A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Soundtrack:

The Kind

Misanthrope seeks misanthrope

In Search of a Midnight Kiss (2007) was written and directed by Alex Holdridge.

The film's basic plot line is simple enough--two lonely people don't want to spend New Year's Eve without being with someone they can kiss at midnight. Wilson, played by Scoot McNairy, posts a personal ad that reads, "Misanthrope seeks misanthrope." He's probably not a misanthrope, but the woman--Vivian, played by Sara Simmonds--apparently is misanthropic to the core. (Well, maybe not to the core. I think we're supposed to realize that deep inside she's a lovable, philanthropic person.)

The camera follows these two as they wander through Los Angeles and undergo various adventures that are supposed to be funny. I didn't see the humor, but maybe the film was aimed at someone in a different demographic niche.

The saving virtue of the movie is the way the director shoots the streets of Los Angeles, and the inside of some of the city's abandoned movie palaces.

We saw the film at the Rochester International Film Festival, with Sara Simmonds in attendance. Even though I didn't enjoy the film, it's a pleasure to hear one of the stars talk about her concept of the character she plays, and about what it was like to make the movie we have just seen. Hats off to the festival leadership for bringing Ms. Simmonds to Rochester.

I can't recommend this film, but, if you're intrigued by it, I think it will work better in a theater. On the small screen you'll follow the plot, but you'll partly miss out on the great photography.