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From Secret Admirer to Pulp Fiction and even
the recent Crash – it’s hardly a new swindle.
Still, when it’s done well, it plays good, and 11:14
is no exception.
Writer/director Greg Marks has crafted a film that’s
as meticulously written film and as detailed and tight as
a senate bill – giving one the impression they are watching
something new-fangled.
In a nutshell, the film’s set over the space of ten
minutes or so, with a number of weaving tales all leading
up to the time code marker of 11:14. We witness five different
tales that all tie – in a round about way - to a freak
accident on a highway, where a stiff falls from an overpass
above, landing smack bang on the car bonnet of a inebriated
driver (Henry Thomas).
Fearing he’ll be arrested for a hit-and-run, the chap
hides the body in the boot. Unfortunately, a cop called to
the scene discovers the corpse in the boot and garden grub
hits the fan.
In the other stories, we discover who’s answerable for
the death of the person in the body bag, how that person’s
father (Patrick Swayze) found himself to be the disposer of
the deceased, how three kids (Colin Hanks and Ben Foster,
among them) manage to get themselves knotted in the situation,
though not directly, and how a couple of convenience store
clerks (Hilary Swank and Shawn Hatosy) dig a hole for themselves
when they set-up to rob their own workplace.
Of course each yarn connects, and it comes together better
than a couple of moggies at mating season.
11:14 is a terrific little surprise package –
it’s funny, it’s freaky, it’s intriguing, it’s
well-performed, it’s dramatic, it’s thrilling, and
most of all, it’s the result of an appreciably uncultivated
mind's eye. The only downfall perhaps is that it’s running
time is far too short, and you’ll feel there should be
more to come before the white text on black background rolls
before your eyes.
If you feel like getting off the egress of normalcy –
take the next right to “11:14”.
Conclusion: Movie 80% Extras: 65%
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