11:14

A car crash involving five people - which somehow inexplicably links all concerned - unfolds from a multiple character perspective. Being released directly after Crash ran riot at the Oscars (stealing Best Picture) probably wasn't the wisest idea the producers of 11:14 ever had; it was always going to play second fiddle, despite being a smart and funny stab at a genre that has taken itself far too seriously of late. Actually closer in structure to Go, the similarities with Paul Haggis's Oscar winner begin and end with the car crash. Setting up every character arc a few minutes before the inevitable consequences of the aforementioned time, 11:14 doesn't try to be anything other than a funny, smart look at five people, on one bizarrely, coincidence-laden evening. Sure, at times, its nowhere near as smart as it thinks it is, and, as with a lot of movies of this sort, there are plot holes galore; but 11:14 is carried through with strong performances, an eclectic bunch of characters and some very tight scripting. Writer/director Marcks deserves credit for keeping you interested in each scenario, despite the obvious inevitability of its conclusion. Had it lost one of its character arcs, and given one or two more of the interesting characters room to breathe, it may have accomplished a tad more depth, but in fairness, that doesn't seem to be what Marcks was going for. Ultimately, it has many deep flaws, but 11:14 makes up for its shortcomings with a solid cast, a smart script and a director who (on the evidence of this) deserves a bigger budget, and on a broader canvas.