Best Laid Plans

Nick (Nivola) and his beautiful girlfriend Lissa (Witherspoon) are young, in love, and willing to do almost anything to get out of the dying rural town of Tropico. They think their boat has come in when Nick's father dies, however the supposedly substantial estate evaporates and it turns out his legacy is made only of debts to the taxman. With his finances in disarray a co- worker offers Nick $10,000 to be a driver in a drug scam.

Unfortunately things go wrong and Nick finds himself owing a drug dealer $15,000 with only 5 days to pay. To save their skins Nick and Lissa hatch a scheme to con the money out of Bryce (Josh Brolin), an old high school buddy of Nick's. The plan looks foolproof until Bryce doesn't react as expected.

Mike Barker has crafted an excellent film with a distinctive visual style, all the actors and sets look picturesque or menacing as required. Though the story flits back in the almost customary non-linear style but never tries to pile on too many twists, thereby allowing the audience to enjoy it without having to take notes throughout.

'Best Laid Plans' is an excellent little movie that deserved a lot more attention than it received at the box office. Everything in the film is delivered in moderation from the tight running length to the dark visuals and solid understated performances. Due to this the film never falters by over-stretching itself. The soundtrack blends Gomez, Massive Attack and Mazzy Star to great effect without ever turning into the kind of spot-the-song affairs that so many recent 'hip' movies have.

With Reese Witherspoon's star value increasing by the picture it seems likely this film will gain the recognition it deserves at some point in the future. However there's no point waiting till then when you can see it here, now.

David Goody