Deadpan Valentine

More about loneliness than love, this dark comedy celebrates February 14th without so much as the exchange of a box of chocolates. Two twenty-something Londoners share a dingy flat in the city. Vain and hair-obsessed, Scott has a James Dean complex, a misguided acting career, and more than one girl vying for his attention. Contrarily there is Jamie, who hasn't left the flat for weeks and is running out of ideas on how best to commit suicide. While pondering a handful of pills, the flat's door buzzer sounds urgently. Jamie answers the door only to be taken hostage by the disgruntled, although not very imposing, boyfriend of Scott's girlfriend. While Jamie plays at being a hostage, Scott is away at the local community theater, failing miserably in more than one role. Theater practice, it turns out, is rather more traumatic than being taken hostage. The film's smart and funny dialogue is perfectly executed by the cast, marking a successful directorial debut for one-time stand-up comedian, Robin Lindsey. – J.H.B.