Lovely Rita meter maid may I inquire discreetly…when are you free to take some tea with me?
The Beatles tune, Lovely Rita Meter Maid is referenced in Expired which is a quirky love story about two parking enforcement officers who share a profound loneliness. The film is an interesting character study that explores the ups and downs of relationships without candy coated dialogue. Not all love stories have a happy ending. Expired will put plenty of smiles on your face, which balances the darker themes that are not deeply explored.
Claire (Samantha Morton) leads a lonely life. She lives with her mother (Teri Garr) in a small townhouse. A stroke has rendered her mother unable to speak. A combination of hand gestures and grunts are the extent of their conversations. They appear to live a Spartan lifestyle with gaudy Christmas decorations haphazardly strewn on the walls of their unit. Claire’s mother wants to see her married. Claire does not seem to have much luck in that area. Not unattractive, her plain Jane look and occupation are date-killers. She should have known better than to have used her meter-maid photo on an internet dating website. Claire has a good heart and tries to engage people even when they are waving their middle finger or cursing her. Rather than returning the abuse, Claire seems content to smile and go her own way.
While sustaining abuse from a ticketed offender, another parking enforcement officer, Jay (Jason Patric) comes to Claire’s aid. Jay has some deep rooted issues. It appears that Jay feels unfulfilled and powerless. His parking enforcement provides him with an outlet for his pent up aggression and anger. Internet sex provides him with another outlet. Jay and Claire go out for coffee and dinner a few times, but it seems every engagement ends with Jay making rude comments about Claire or leaving in a fit. Claire takes Jay’s abuse the same way she handles the citizens angered by her tickets. She seems to let the hurtful comments slide by. In spite of Jay’s short-comings, Claire’s crush appears to have become love. The strained, strange relationship experiences enough tribulation to douse the strong feelings that both Claire and Jay seem to share. It ultimately forces Claire to answer a question that she once posed to her mother… “is something better than nothing?”
I have a soft spot for quirky comedy love stories. Expired employs dialogue that cuts so sharply, I had to ask “did he really just say that?” Jay is the epitome of the bad date. His crass comments and rude behavior show an incredible insensitivity to those he cares about. He seems incapable of expressing himself honestly. Claire accepts that part of Jay, which provide the characters an opportunity to engage in some interesting conversations and reveal depth to their characters. Jay actually had some positive attributes that made his character kind of endearing…but not completely. It was enough for his character to connect with the audience to the point that you want him to succeed. But there are issues that he really needs to address. Claire seems like a push-over and you wonder if her character has a spine. She does. Expired succeeds as a character study, love story and quirky comedy. The plot is not so much about a destination as the trip…and it is an enjoyable trip to take. Writer/Director Cecilia Miniucchi did an excellent job of pulling together an excellent film with characters that could easily walk off the screen and sit down next to you (or insult you, as the case may be).
As with any film with strong character studies, Expired succeeds on excellent writing and strong performances. There is no requirement for high tech special effects or fast paced action. The film is more an examination of people and situations requiring credible performances to pull the film together. Expired succeeds on that front. Morton has a subdued beauty and gentleness that fits her character perfectly. If she had been too attractive, the film would not have worked as well (not that she is not attractive, part of that effect is added to her make-up and wardrobe to make her as average as possible). Her performance provides her with the opportunity to show decent range and she does well with it. Patric has a seemingly easier task of being a complete and utter a-hole. However, being able to engage the audience in that role and even be moderately likeable required a nice balance, which Patric brings to this role. The two had great chemistry, strained as their relationship was. The tension seemed realistic during their encounters. The performances elevated this film.
I enjoyed Expired for a lot of reasons. Although imperfect, the film had strong interesting characters with incredible dialogue. The film was fresh and interesting. The combination of good writing and exceptional acting worked for me. I like quirky comedies, which this film was. To a lesser degree, I like good love stories, which this film borders on. I also enjoy dark humor, which was also worked into this film. In some respects, this film reminded me of Lars and the Real Girl for the offbeat nature of the comedy and the darker themes that are lightly treated. If you liked Lars, you will probably enjoy this film as well (Lars was slightly better). 7.5/10.
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