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Appiness
Canada 2018
produced by Eli Batalion, Philip Kalin-Hajdu (executive) for eMerge Enterprises
directed by Eli Batalion
starring Eli Batalion, Varun Saranga, Amber Goldfarb, Daniel Brochu, Jayne Heitmeyer, Kenneth Fernandez, Kathleen Stavert, Derek Johns, Mike Carrozza, Larry Day, Susan Bain, Mike Paterson, Ivan Smith, Carl Alacchi, Adam Bernett, Julian Casey, Kathleen Fee, Vlad Stokanic, Zag Dorison, Luc-Martial Dagenais, Christine Lan, Adam Alberts, Arlen Aguayo-Stewart, Hayley Kezber, Rodney Ramsay, Patrick Ryan, Spencer Kalin-Hajdu
written by Eli Batalion, music by Eli Batalion, Joe Barrucco
review by Mike Haberfelner
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Available on DVD! To buy, click on link(s) below and help keep this site afloat (commissions earned) |
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Eric (Eli Batalion) has just been fired from his job when he meets Raj
(Varun Saranga), his friend from high school he hasn't seen for years -
but Raj, fed up with working at his parents' laundromat, sees meeting Eric
as the perfect opportunity to finally shake his shackles and start a
business of his own, so before you know it he has talked Eric into
developing an app that ... really doesn't do anything special in
particular, but in today's world, who can say what will catch on? Soon
enough they've even hired staff - as neither knows how to write code - and
get the feeling of doing something really great ... even if their
"office" is actually their favourite café. And while Eric
really feels roped into things, at least he really likes the
company's PR girl, Jeanine (Amber Goldfarb), and the feeling's mutual
even, even though Eric is too much of a nerd to realize. But when they
have their first presentation with tech guru Sierra (Jayne Heitmeyer),
they completely fail - which is when Eric bails, but Raj lures him back
with a ton of money, he it turns out has loaned from gangsters for a
ridiculous interest rate, and soon enough the two are with their backs to
the wall, and soon enough Eric sees himself forced to suck up to Sierra,
who has taken a shine to him, so she makes the company in the Start Up
Olympics, even if this will damage whatever he has with Jeanine. And
worse, as Raj, spokesperson of the company, has been beaten to a pulp
before the occasion, Eric, not a people's person, has to present their
app. And of course, he fails - but then does he just fail, or fail so
horribly that it might count as a success? Probably without
even intending it, this movie has turned out to be the comedy for all
those who get tired of being offered the 10,000th must-have app and having
to listen to yet another story about how a half-baked idea has made some
modestly clever random guy billionaire - and I seriously don't want to
sound contra-progress here, but with all the sub-par apps one gets offered
nowadays, it just feels like the next IT bubble's about to burst any
minute now. But Appiness doesn't try to bring this point home via
sledgehammer, it's just the basis of its story that's in parts really
funny and very touching, and will probably have something to say to
everyone still in touch with one's inner nerd (and I'm not excluding
myself here at all), as especially the film's topical humour comes across
very well. And add to that a relatable cast playing rather colourful
parts, and you've got one pretty great comedy that's definitely worth a
watch.
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