11:14 (www.the-usher.com)

"You have to find it"

11:14pm, a time that would change the lives of the inhabitants of Middletown forever. A drunk driver is involved in an accident with a suicide victim. Three friends hit a young girl with their van, with extremely painful consequences for one of them. A father tries to cover up his daughter's involvement in a crime and a desperate young man robs the convenience store he works at to get the cash he needs to pay for his girlfriend's abortion. All of these stories are connected and they will come together at 11:14.

Interweaving stories around one event have been the concept behind many a movie over the years and it seems to be independent films that do this concept justice but can '11:14' do the same?

Mixing four or five stories together with a common theme is a frequently used plot device in movies and especially in independent film. 'Go!', 'Pulp Fiction', 'Sin City' to name but a few, all have a collection of characters all linked by a similar theme, storyline or location which makes them interweave or cross paths at certain points in the movie. This method of storytelling allows a filmmaker to, in essence, tell as many tales as he or she likes, as long as they are linked in some way. Of course this makes for some interesting stories and characters and '11:14' is no different.

Taking place in Middletown, we discover what can happen during thirty minutes and how it can dramatically changes the lives of everyone involved. People will die, some will lose things really important to them, evidence will be covered up and people will do anything to cover for their loved ones. This of course makes for drama and comedy, as the story unfolds and the characters interactive with each other.

A film with an interweaving plots with multiple storylines needs a good ensemble cast to bring each tale to life. What '11:14' does well is not making any of the cast members the main star. Each performer has their part to play in the stories and each is given the right amount of time needed to tell their tale. Henry Thomas is Jack, a man driving home to his girl after having a little too much to drink. Stark Sands, Colin Hanks and Ben Foster are Tim, Mark and Eddie are three friends out for a good time but take it a little too far. Patrick Swayze's Frank will do anything to protect his daughter. Rachael Leigh Cook's Cheri is a real trouble but that does stop her manipulating as many men as possible. Shawn Hatosy and Hilary Swank as Duffy and Buzzy have a plan but it is a risky one. Together they bring the stories to life and make the movie all the more watchable.

As an interweaving tale, '11:14' works on most levels. The ensemble cast bring their stories to life and allow you to connect with most of them, even though the film is only set over thirty minute period. While it might not be groundbreaking, there is still much to enjoy here and is a good example of this type of filmmaking.

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 with Dolby Digital 5.1, the presentation is good.

BONUS FEATURES

Trailer
Watch the theatrical trailer for '11:14'

OVERALL

The complete lack of any bonus features for the release of '11:14' is inexcusable. A DVD should not be release without any extras because buyers have come to expect a little more for their money since the death of VHS. Fans will be very disappointed.

DVD

Go!

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2006