WHIRLIGIG (Chaz Thorne). 87 minutes. Opens Friday (August 19). For venues and times, see Movies. Rating: NN
Chaz Thorne’s Whirligig fancies itself an arch comedy of manners about wayward young Nicholas (Everwood’s Gregory Smith), who moves back in with his parents (Brian Downey and Jennifer Overton) in their small Nova Scotia town after a failed business venture in Asia.
Bored and aimless, Nicholas falls into bed with an older neighbour (Fiona Highet), then befriends her 12-year-old son (Siam Yu) in order to prolong the affair.
Director Thorne (Just Buried) hasn’t the slightest idea how to make any of this funny or meaningful, settling instead for shuffling the actors through a series of stiff conversations and awkward encounters. R.H. Thomson seems to have a grip on the proper tone as Highet’s pompous, neglectful husband, but Thorne barely has time for him.
Hey, if you want to see a decent movie about a young man’s awkward coming of age, Richard Ayoade’s Submarine might still be at the reps.
