I was lucky enough to catch "Chance" when it played at Birmingham's Sidewalk Film Festival. Being a "Buffy" fan I was very familiar with Amber Benson, James Marsters, and Andy Hallet's work for Mutant Enemy. I was hoping for the best, but not sure what to expect.
I came away very satisfied. Chance is a very quirky, very funny movie that is only too accurate in its description of the modern dating scene. Amber's acting ability is easily able to carry as the star of a feature length film. She has great chemistry with James Marsters, who can change from hilarious to poignant at the drop of a hat. Seeing them together in this film makes me wish Joss Whedon had made more use of these two together when both were on "Buffy".
I was startled at the difference between the character Chance with her frank sexuality and all things "alpha", and the sweet, somewhat demure personality that Benson displays on Internet forums and in public appearances. It's good to see Amber playing against type to great effect.
The script is a little on the short side, but this just keeps the film from getting bogged down. There is a lot of shifting of time and space, story within a story, flashbacks, etc., which the brevity of the film keeps from becoming too confusing. The script is very witty and it is readily apparent that the actress is also an accomplished writer.
Now all that we can do is hope that the film secures a distribution deal so that everyone can get the CHANCE to see it (sorry for the bad pun!)
I came away very satisfied. Chance is a very quirky, very funny movie that is only too accurate in its description of the modern dating scene. Amber's acting ability is easily able to carry as the star of a feature length film. She has great chemistry with James Marsters, who can change from hilarious to poignant at the drop of a hat. Seeing them together in this film makes me wish Joss Whedon had made more use of these two together when both were on "Buffy".
I was startled at the difference between the character Chance with her frank sexuality and all things "alpha", and the sweet, somewhat demure personality that Benson displays on Internet forums and in public appearances. It's good to see Amber playing against type to great effect.
The script is a little on the short side, but this just keeps the film from getting bogged down. There is a lot of shifting of time and space, story within a story, flashbacks, etc., which the brevity of the film keeps from becoming too confusing. The script is very witty and it is readily apparent that the actress is also an accomplished writer.
Now all that we can do is hope that the film secures a distribution deal so that everyone can get the CHANCE to see it (sorry for the bad pun!)