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Click here to return to the main site. DVD Review
When Duane gets his arse kicked again by the local rich kid, Chad, he decides to plot his revenge by standing for mayor against Chad’s grandmother, Kelly (Rosemary Dunsmore) aided and abetted by his girlfriend, Molly (Jane McGregor) and his uncle Bingo (Donal Logue). Along the way Duane learns a very serious lesson about being careful what you wish for, as everything comes with a price... Citizen Duane (1 hr, 24 min, 32 sec) is a teenage comedy written by Robert Deleski and directed by Michael Mabbott One of the main problems with the film is the portrayal of Duane whose central attribute appears to be petty bitterness against the world and the rich kid opposition Chad Milton (Nicholas Carella). Apart from rivalry, which both sides engage in, it is difficult to see what the fuss was with Chad. Duane’s concentration on him struck me as an unhealthy obsession, bordering on stalking. Carella is also an unlikely Chad, given his less than conventional looks. Although given that this is a small budget film, it gets many of the beats right, the problem here is that these beats have very often been seen in earlier and better films. Nor does the film have the requisite gookyness to allow the audience to believe that a teenager would run for mayor, Duane is more bitter than funny. Added to that, at times the pace of the film is off, leading some of the gags to fall flat. On the acting side, things are a little better and the film would make a very passable television movie. Some of the acting is less than sterling but very little of it really sinks. It is difficult to say what the finished product will look like as I received a screener. Apparently the DVD will come with a 5.1 mix, Spanish subtitles and crew biographies. All I got was the theatrical trailer. So, there you have it. A Canadian teen comedy which, at its best, reminds you of better films. 5 Charles Packer Buy this item online
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