EssenceStory Well Deserved Praise

Steineded How sad is this?

Donald Seymour This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Deanna There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

TxMike Very curious movie. Several times I considered turning it off, but something kept me watching. I saw it on Netflix streaming movies.Randy Quaid is Reuban, we don't learn anything about his background but we do observe that he speaks with an Australian accent. He seems to work for a loan shark, as an enforcer. He makes sure debts get paid back.This day he is observing a ratty corner store where we see Jay Baruchel as Andy Hayes buying scratch-off lottery tickets and, once again, comes up empty handed. As he leaves the store Reuban drives up to intercept him. Seems that not only is Andy a bad, compulsive gambler, he has not gotten in debt to the tune of $68,000 and has no apparent way to pay it back. Reuban tells Andy that if he can't pay back the money by 3PM, he may not survive the day. So he asks Andy, where do you want to go, what do you want to see.Except for a small scene at his grandma's house, the movie is pretty much Reuban and Andy driving around, and talking. I enjoyed it at some level, both Quaid and Baruchel are excellent, but overall I can't give this movie a high rating or a recommendation.SPOILERS: At the end of the riding Reuban takes Andy to a secluded place, they get out of the car, Reuban pulls out a gun, tells Andy "this is it" and we hear a gunshot. Reuban has developed an incurable cancer, he shoots and kills himself, leaves an envelope titled "ANDY" and inside is a check for $68,000 so that Andy can get a fresh start. Was Reuban really Andy dad? We don't really know why Reuban has taken sympathy on Andy.

rgcustomer I saw the 87-minute version of this film on The Movie Network.If you don't guess the ending of this film in the first 10 or so minutes, then you're not thinking very hard.Also, as other commentors have noted, the wandering Australian-American-British accent sported by Quaid is extremely distracting from the film, in a really bad way. What was the point of that? There is no need for the character to be Australian, or to have an Australian accent. But there are plenty of actual Australian actors who could have done the job well, if the accent is important. Were they all unavailable? But I absolutely commend the filmmakers on being reasonably honest with their film. They don't hide the Canadian setting, or try to make it look like some generic US city (except for the bizarre license plate from no jurisdiction ... what's up with that?). It's so refreshing, and this is what we need to see more of in English Canadian cinema.It could even be an OK film, except for that accent, and the too-obvious ending. Better luck next time, folks. I actually am looking forward to your next effort, despite the negative review.

jts0405 Jay Baruchel is really been sort of a supporting guy in most of his movies like Tropic Thunder and Knocked Up. On the TV series Undeclared he was the main star, but as for the big screen he hasn't gotten a big break. I will admit that I didn't check this out because of Jay, but really instead because of Randy Quaid. Quaid was the only funny part of the recent Balls Out: Gary the Tennis Coach movie and he had me hysterically laughing throughout Kingpin. All in all he is a pretty funny guy. This movie actually appears in a less comedic way and actually appeals as a drama flick. Even though I found this movie to be a little off I still found it to be pretty interesting and not bad to watch just once. So if you need to kill some time then check this one out.7/10

intelearts 2008 has been a stinker for films - it seems nothing has gelled or been original - was Wall.E really the highlight!?!? - so Real Time for me was kind of a nicer way to finish the year.This is a tiny film - totally focused on the two main characters that just works. The enforcer, in a great turn by Randy Quaid, is there to kill a pathetic gambler, Andy, played by Canadian Jay Baruchel.What makes this is the conversations, nothing Tarantino-like, but somehow they involve us and make us care.At only 1 hour and 17 minutes this is short, but very well directed and most of all it is logical, neat, and the performances ring true. Honestly, one of the better films of the year, and I would recommend it as being a refreshing change from some of the garbage we've been served this year.