Tuesday, September 30, 2014

WEDLOCK: Vimeo/FilmBuff's five-minute fun sessions by Ross Partridge and Josh Perilo


TrustMovies has so far devoted his time to movies of the foreign, independent and documentary type, with the occasional foray into cable TV (mostly of the foreign sort). And yet "content" -- that all-purpose word now used to refer to just about anything made to entertain, inform, move or amuse us -- has suddenly become so prevalent and all-over-the place (it's everywhere you look) that it behooves me to occasionally cover something different and perhaps more au courant. Today, because I am particularly taken with the three lead performers, I've just viewed WEDLOCK, a series of ten five-minute episodes about two people -- (Jennifer Lafleur and Mark Duplass) who visit a well-known and much-loved therapist (Rob Corddry) who is famous for his wonderful counseling involving couples.

Seemingly made for a quick watch on your mobile device when you need a few great laughs (and this series will provide them), Wedlock -- written by Josh Perilo and directed by Ross Partridge (shown at left) -- initially moves like a house afire, dropping its premise in your lap and leaving you gasping for air at the very effrontery of the concept, while amazed at the skill of the performers in bringing it to fine, funny life. Really, the first few tiny episodes should have you speeding right on to the next. And the next. Until...

OK: Things begin to go a bit downhill around the halfway point or just after. Nothing major bad, mind you. You'll still laugh pretty consistently, but some of the truly creative stuff that happens early on seems to have disappeared.

The first half of these episodes are so funny, odd and surprising -- dealing with everything from the initial premise (a hoot and a half) to cross-dressing, doll play, ex-girlfriends and a very special "home-made" manual (above) -- that the final ones break little new ground and instead seem to have been created more out of the simple need to fill the rest of the time slots than anything else.

Fortunately the cast is first-rate. Lafleur and Duplass (above, left to right) are fine actors and good comedians, too, and they keep things rolling along. Corddry (three photos up and below, center) is, as usual, an extraordinary delight and one of the funniest "straight men" ever. Also in the mix are Ed Begley, Jr. and Katie Aselton to provide even more laughs and fun.

So do take a chance on Wedlock -- a co-production of Vimeo-on-Demand and FilmBuff. I promise you enough laughs and creativity to make the short time and little money spent (approximately 40 cents per episode) worth your while. You can access the whole schmear by clicking here. (The price is a mere four bucks if you buy the entire series, but it's one buck each if you order à la carte.)

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