WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
Ah, the beauty of college. Having fun, a little studying, and then more fun. Yet, at some point, the inevitable comes–graduation, and the specter that is real life. Coming out of those years with dreams of what the future would hold encompasses the thoughts of Jane (Lissa Lauria) and her best friend Lily (Elyse Levesque) who have since joined the ranks of the adult working world, albeit perhaps not quite in the ways they expected. Still, making ends meet seems satisfactory, until an unceremonious circumstance leads Jane to be let go, and hence finding herself jobless and adrift. Unable to truly find any job offers (much less actual interviews) of note or viable stability, Jane’s hopes seem to be dashed.
But, an unexpected occurrence puts the idea in Jane’s head to seek out the possibilities to illicit money from total strangers–by acting as if she is homeless. Lily at first bemoans this, even as Jane has already attempted the feat with VERY minor success. But, as the two conspire with each other to actually make it into a “credible” business venture, Jane meets a homeless girl, Elizabeth (Jordy Lucas), whose real life hardships and literal homeless state begin to have an impact on Jane in ways she didn’t expect. Adding to the whole scenario is the return of Jane’s ex-boyfriend, Aaron (Curt Mega) whose reasons for coming back to L.A. only add tension to Jane’s endeavors.
However, what ultimately becomes evident through it all, is pretending to be something you’re not and lying to maintain it can have consequences, and making it right isn’t always easy.
Next, my Mind:
It has to be said right up front that the story being presented here most certainly has merit, the comedic elements are in and of themselves solid, and the final moral of the tale is actually quite poignant. However, and granted this is a personal preference statement, this reviewer is hard-pressed to not comment on the fact that the amount of irreverent content in the dialogue still grates on the nerves when it comes to modern comedy. Co-Directors Arturo Guzman and Jonathan Talbert deliver a tightly formatted yarn that does have plenty of comic fodder to feed off of, but often via crude wording/topics rather than straight-up silliness mixed with the scattered dramatic moments.
Now, this being said, the film is greatly elevated by a fantastic, veteran comedy cast. There’s no getting past the perky cuteness of bubbly Lauria as Jane, who can at first be completely off the wall but then truly serious moments later, and her character’s journey is very much realistic amidst the hijinks. The same can be said for the equally beautiful Levesque as Lily, the ideal best friend who simply wants to be there for her longsuffering pal. Jordy Lucas brings pathos as Elizabeth solidly enough and strong supporting efforts by Mega and Neil Grayston among others rounds things out nicely.
So, preferences aside, “Spare Change” is overall a film worthy of being viewed and thanks to a smart cast, can overcome at least some of the irreverence so many modern comedies cannot.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
