20,000 Reasons
Director: Jameson Cucciardi
Stars: Maria Pia Meli, Marylu Coppini, Steffan Cheriet Busuttil
Duration: 80 mins
Class: 12
KRS Film Releasing Ltd

Malta’s ‘first romantic comedy’ is a solid enough effort, as protagonist Sophie Bellizzi (Maria Pia Meli) refuses to give in to her harrying grandmother’s (Marylu Coppini) demands that she marry her smarmy boyfriend (Steffan Cheriet Busuttil), threatening her inheritance in the process.

It is hardly a complex – or wildly original – plot, and, being a romantic comedy, is more concerned with humour than the thorny issues of inheritance and class that it sketchily raises, while a subplot involving a musical celebrity cameo feels superfluous. Yet, it ticks many of the right boxes and chugs along nicely under the firm direction of Jameson Cucciardi, and at around 80 minutes it never outstays its welcome.

The slight premise and obvious outcome are surmounted by the humour

Meli makes for an engaging lead and she carries the film confidently, while she and Aldo Zammit as her putative boyfriend share some unforced chemistry. Acting stalwarts Coppini and Nanette Brimmer as Ramon’s mum are on fine form, and Chris Dingli astutely milks his bumbling parish priest to provide many belly laughs. Cheriet Busuttil’s Jonathan is a one-dimensional cad and could have been a little less obviously obnoxious.

The slight premise and obvious outcome are surmounted by the humour that underlines proceedings. Those who know 20,000 Reasons’ writer Malcolm Galea will recognise his brand of irreverent and bawdy humour, yet he reins it in somewhat for something more teenager-friendly. Not all the humour hits the mark; although, admittedly, I laughed at the coarse Maltese insults that were occasionally bandied about – because their English translations were sometimes funnier…

Alvin and the Chipmunks: Road Chip.

Also showing this week

Alvin and the Chipmunks: Road Chip; Classification U; KRS Releasing Ltd: Music manager Dave (Jason Lee) is not only enjoying a burgeoning career, but also a blossoming romance with Samantha (Kimberly Williams-Paisley), a beautiful doctor who works in the emergency room. Through a series of misunderstandings, the chipmunks start to believe that a marriage proposal is on the cards.

Casablanca;Classification U; An Eden Cinemas Release: Showing for one time today at the Eden Cinemas, St Julian’s, on the occasion of Valentine’s Day. Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), who owns a nightclub in Casablanca, discovers his old flame Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) is in town with her husband, Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid). Laszlo is a famed rebel and, with Germans on his tail, Ilsa knows Rick can help them get out of the country.