A black comedy from the US with enough laughs to make it enjoyable.
Shannon is a sex addict, which has resulted in her losing job after job. Hitting bottom, she has returned to her shabby home town to live with her sister Martha, and work with her as a hotel chambermaid. Having supposedly overcome her problems Shannon is reluctant to let Martha know that she is still shagging anyone she can. So when she's found in bed with a hotel resident she cries rape and, in the ensuing struggle, the man is accidentally killed.
The remainder of the plot revolves around their attempts to cover their tracks and dispose of the body. Their preferred route is via a pet crematorium, but that leads to blackmail and they have to get together a large sum of money very fast. The storyline moves along at a decent pace, even if somewhat improbable at times. I mean, would people really donate $12,000 of cash at a bar mitzvah?
This production has 'TV Movie' written all over it, and it somehow feels wrong to be watching in a cinema. Overcome those doubts and you'll find Fresno is a lot of fun, with a few great lines thrown in. (My favourite came from the guy who, on being told of Shannon's addiction, says he thought if was something Tiger Woods had made up.) Martha is the more empathetic character and at times it's hard to sympathise with her sister who seems to destroy all she touches. Redemption does win through though and happy endings of a sort do close off most of the story arcs.
Sex addiction is a taboo rarely tackled in films so it's good to see someone having a go. There will be better movies to come on the subject, but for now this is a decent attempt.
No comments:
Post a Comment