Mind The Gap

Year: 2004

Grade: B

Country: USA

Director: Schaeffer

Review

the title refers to a warning you would hear in the london underground – mind the gap between the subway and the platform. as it applies to the film the title is about the space between living life and watching it go by. minding the gap can mean being overly cautious or it can mean keep it in mind when you’re boarding the subway car of life; as corny as that sounds.

the story follows five separate storylines. each storyline has a primary character at a different stage in their life – one just about to really start, one in the twilight, one in the middle, one who wants to end it prematurely, and one who is finally about to have her dream come true. on paper it’s a film that could easily look fairly corny, but schaeffer (writer/director/star of the sleeper The Fall) does a good job of direction and cast selection. it’s similar in its ambition and structure to magnolia, but the breadth and depth aren’t as great. it’s also not nearly as successful. it’s a more accessible film, one that’s more likely to please because it’s easier to buy, but it’s not as good. it’s not played entirely straight, though. it does have some almost surreal moments and some unrealistic interactions and characters, but they’re less “out there” than those in magnolia.

the soundtrack has some weak moments, but the krishna das stuff is good. i liked the balance of humor and drama. solid sleeper.