ONE FUN-FILLED, F@#KED UP NIGHT!
DVD, Blu-Ray & Streaming – “Stretch”
Review by Ray Schillaci
Not since Martin Scorsese’s “After Hours” have we seen such a mess of a city and a life trying to live in it, nervously laugh all the way. That’s what writer/director Joe Carnahan (“The Grey”, “Smokin’ Aces”) has accomplished with his witty and entertaining observation on the life of a limo driver that has slammed into the wall of L.A. life, ready to fight back. This is Carnahan’s finest film. A biting satire of everything wrong with L.A. and its ugly underbelly.
Patrick Wilson plays “Stretch,” an out-of-work actor/limo driver who has had nothing but a string of horrible luck. We meet him after he has given up his vices; drugs, alcohol and gambling. He’s doing what he can to get his life back together, but a nasty break-up and a looming gambling debt hangs over him like a very dark cloud ready to burst. Topping it off, he’s given a final warning by his limo boss to start exceeding expectations or find another job.
Stretch is given a chance of redemption by a couple of very affluent clients. One of them could be the answer to paying off his entire gambling debt that he has just been informed must be paid off before midnight. The catch, that specific client is filthy rich wild man Roger Karos, an uncredited Chris Pine (“Star Trek”, “Unstoppable”). Karos will lead Stretch into a wonderful self-realization journey that is both dangerous and exhilarating at the same time.
There are so many great cameos in Carnahan’s movie, you would think they may even steal the show. But Patrick Wilson and Chris Pine shine past all of them with strong performances that make us want to cheer on for them. Patrick Wilson plays a wonderful straight man to Chris Pine’s outrageous theatrics. We’ve caught glimpses of Pine’s sense of humor in the “Star Trek” movies, but here he gets free reign to give us a portrayal of an extremely funny out-of-control sociopath that is near on par (dare I say) with some of the most memorable performances of John Belushi.
Wilson holds his own with Pine’s antics by delivering heartfelt pathos that keeps us on the edge of our seat by seeing how far he will actually go to finally win in life. We feel his frustrations, angst, and at the same time we do see when he’s crossed the line, and we marvel at his bravado. Writer/director Carnahan has provided him a wonderful anti-hero and Wilson runs with it.
The story is written with marvelous precision, and every actor makes the most of every second of screen time they are provided, from the beautifully underplayed Jessica Alba to the hysterical over-the-top David Hasselhoff portraying a remarkable a**hole version of himself. Carnahan weaves us and Stretch through a carnival of horrors that Los Angeles provides; strip clubs, limo battles, private fetish parties. Then there is the run in with not just the police, but a tireless FBI, all following our anti-hero, thinking he is a person of interest.
But believe it or not, Carnahan is not just interested in titillating us. He also gives us quiet reflective moments as well. We see Stretch dealing with his addictions, trying to stay on the straight and narrow. His warm and playful relationship with his colleague and partner in crime. We even get a much needed breath of fresh air in a quiet coffee shop as well.
The biggest crime about this movie is that it never received a theatrical release. This was Blumhouse Production’s and Universal’s huge oversight. Here we have an absolutely wonderfully quirky comedy that has all the earmarks of a cult classic, and both companies decided not to take the time to fully understand it. They did not know how to package something so different with such a unique voice. Joe Carnahan and company delivered a fantastic film and the powers-that-be ignored his vision. A very sad tale of struggling independents.
“Stretch” has found a home on Netflix and AMAZON, and on DVD at Walmart. Movie lovers can rejoice by spending less money on the over-bloated packaged products provided, and spend an evening with one fabulously funny film. This is definitely a party movie. Invite family (17 and over) and friends, because it’s no stretch that they will be thoroughly entertained by Joe Carnahan’s wild-eyed vision.
Directed by: Joe Carnahan
Release Date: October 14, 2014
Run Time: 94 Minutes
Country: USA
Rated: R
Distributor: Universal Pictures
