Release Date: August 3rd, 2007 (Village East Cinemas) by Artistic License Films. The Cast: Bill Sage, Roy Scheider, Susan Misner, Noelle Beck, Ronald Guttman, Alex Kilgore, Mirelly Taylor, Brian McQuillan. Directed by Benjamin and Orson Cummings. BASIC PREMISE: Dave (Sage) and his secret lover, Hadley (Misner), plan to murder his wife, Janice (Beck). ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: Contrived, awkward and unsurprising, If I Didn’t Care is initially intriguing, but lacks the realism and tension found in other crime dramas such as Fargo. Bill Sage plays Dave, a husband who goes through a mid-life crises during which he cheats on his wife, Hadley, with a sexy blonde named Janice. It turns out that Janice doesn’t mind murdering Hadley, but when she tries to do so early in the film, she shoots the maid instead. For the rest of the plot, Linus (Scheider), a police investigator, probes the murder and keeps an eye on Dave, who acts suspiciously. Co-writers and directors Benjamin and Orson Cummings don’t add any real suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat. It would have been much more interesting if the audience did not know who the murderer was as well as the motive. Perhaps the film could have been from Linus’ perspective so that the plot would actually feel somewhat mysterious. Much of the dialogue feels stilted and awkward while the mediocre acting by Bill Sage fails to hook you in. Moreover, the characters come across as one-dimensional and mostly unlikable, except Linus. On a positive note, the production values are quite impressive given the setting and lighting design along which look well thought-out. If only the plot had more surprises and believable scenes and characters, this could have been a much more compelling film. SPIRITUAL VALUE: Unfortunately, none. INSULT TO YOUR INTELLIGENCE: Often contrived and awkward with too little tension. NUMBER OF TIMES I CHECKED MY WATCH: 8 IN A NUTSHELL: Initially intriguing and impressive production values, but with too little tension, mediocre acting and contrived and awkward scenes. RECOMMENDED WAY TO WATCH: TV Main Page Alphabetical Menu Chronological Menu The "I" Menu ______________________________________________________ |