Director: Dean Hewison
Cast: Richard Falkner, Jonathan Brugh, Scarlet
Hemingway, Aidee Walker, Arpha White, Owen Black
Rating: (R13)
4 stars (out of 5)
Photo supplied.
After Toby (Richard Falkner) tried to start a
conversation with a girl and ended up getting stabbed in the
throat he decided getting a little background information on
any potential date would be a good idea.
However, the combination of modern technology and his natural
love of puzzle-solving sees him end up with a full-blown
stalker habit.
This could have been your normal dark Kiwi tale of twisted
goings-on behind suburban nets but How to Meet Girls from a
Distance (Rialto) is not interested in any of that. It simply
wants to extract as many laughs as it can from Toby's
miscalculations on the best way to find true love.
Toby is basically a good guy who needs to dial back his
behaviour, fast. In fact, when we meet him Toby is giving
change a go. He has found a dating coach, Carl Stewart BA
(Jonathan Brugh), who unfortunately is the worst therapist
ever.
Carl is so confident about his romantic abilities, he
terrifies Toby and when Toby spies Phoebe (Scarlet Hemingway)
he quickly reverts to stalker mode rather than implementing
any of Carl's lessons, which, while dubious, at least are not
illegal. But stalking can only take you so far, as Toby is
about to find out.
Best thing: catchy New Zealand sound track is a
well-judged tool in moving the action along.
Worst thing: there is a strange fascination with
bodily functions as characters regularly over-share their
exact reasons for visiting the powder room.
See it with: anyone who fancies combining having a
laugh with "I've been there moments".
By Christine Powley.
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