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Review: Coin Toss (2013)
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Mark Leeper
Feb 21, 2013, 2:36:10 PM2/21/13
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COIN TOSS
(a film review by Mark R. Leeper)
CAPSULE: COIN TOSS is set in a world of light fantasy
or magical realism; we have a gentle story of chance,
luck, romance, lottery tickets, and financial chicanery.
Newcomer Satya Kharkar co-writes, directs, produces,
and films this story of a magic coin, a Powerball
lottery ticket, and of course romance. As Kharkar's
first feature film outing shot on video the film has a
few rough edges including some flat performances, but is
also has charm and promises more from the new filmmaker.
Rating: +1 (-4 to +4) or 6/10
The main character of our story is a poor but honest and nice guy
Tom Bennett (Joe Mastrino). Bennett wins the audience by taking
care of his dying mother, and he tries to be certain he treats
everybody he knows fairly. The mother gives him his father's lucky
silver dollar. The coin turns out to be really genuinely lucky and
it goes to purchase a winning Powerball lottery ticket. The film
then becomes a race to steal the ticket, which lots of people
possess but nobody ever bothers to sign and turn in. COIN TOSS
begins with a few too many characters for its own good, but they
all fit into the plot sooner or later. It helps a little that the
characters are somewhat sorted out by a resonant-voice narrator.
But there are several threads of action going on at the same time,
and they are a little hard to keep straight.
As with many low-budget films, there are problems in the casting.
The film calls for Tom's scheming fiancee to be drop-dead gorgeous.
Linda (Shirin Caiola) is about as attractive as the film's finances
would allow, but we have to take on faith that everybody in the
film is attracted to her. Performances by most of the peripheral
characters should not be met with high expectations. Acting for
most of the cast is about on the level of a high school play with
several of the actors apparently concentrating on mostly making
sure what they say can be understood. Perhaps the most engaging
actor is Shalaka Kulkami as Meera, a bag lady who ironically has
considerable smarts and whom the viewer knows immediately is a cut
above most of the homeless. It somewhat confuses the film that
Meera has the dramatic potential to become a romantic lead herself.
We know that she ends up all right at the end of the film, but
somehow that does not seem to be enough. Her story is just a bit
short of being a loose end.
This is a very low budget, direct to video film by first-time
feature by director Kharkar. Not surprisingly it still has a few
rough edges. Kharkar himself takes a small role as someone with
the unlikely name Agent Polecat. Actually several different
Kharkars show up in the titles and credits, making the film a
family affair. Music by Nik Phoeniks sets the tone of the film
handily. It uses its Chicago locations to add some visual
interest. I would rate COIN TOSS a +1 on the -4 to +4 scale or
6/10.
Special kudos for working into the plot references to the great
(and tragic) Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan. There is
also some discussion of Chaos Theory, but it is rare to find a
scientifically literate comedy.
Film Credits: <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2345503/combined>
Mark R. Leeper
mle...@optonline.net
Copyright 2013 Mark R. Leeper
(a film review by Mark R. Leeper)
CAPSULE: COIN TOSS is set in a world of light fantasy
or magical realism; we have a gentle story of chance,
luck, romance, lottery tickets, and financial chicanery.
Newcomer Satya Kharkar co-writes, directs, produces,
and films this story of a magic coin, a Powerball
lottery ticket, and of course romance. As Kharkar's
first feature film outing shot on video the film has a
few rough edges including some flat performances, but is
also has charm and promises more from the new filmmaker.
Rating: +1 (-4 to +4) or 6/10
The main character of our story is a poor but honest and nice guy
Tom Bennett (Joe Mastrino). Bennett wins the audience by taking
care of his dying mother, and he tries to be certain he treats
everybody he knows fairly. The mother gives him his father's lucky
silver dollar. The coin turns out to be really genuinely lucky and
it goes to purchase a winning Powerball lottery ticket. The film
then becomes a race to steal the ticket, which lots of people
possess but nobody ever bothers to sign and turn in. COIN TOSS
begins with a few too many characters for its own good, but they
all fit into the plot sooner or later. It helps a little that the
characters are somewhat sorted out by a resonant-voice narrator.
But there are several threads of action going on at the same time,
and they are a little hard to keep straight.
As with many low-budget films, there are problems in the casting.
The film calls for Tom's scheming fiancee to be drop-dead gorgeous.
Linda (Shirin Caiola) is about as attractive as the film's finances
would allow, but we have to take on faith that everybody in the
film is attracted to her. Performances by most of the peripheral
characters should not be met with high expectations. Acting for
most of the cast is about on the level of a high school play with
several of the actors apparently concentrating on mostly making
sure what they say can be understood. Perhaps the most engaging
actor is Shalaka Kulkami as Meera, a bag lady who ironically has
considerable smarts and whom the viewer knows immediately is a cut
above most of the homeless. It somewhat confuses the film that
Meera has the dramatic potential to become a romantic lead herself.
We know that she ends up all right at the end of the film, but
somehow that does not seem to be enough. Her story is just a bit
short of being a loose end.
This is a very low budget, direct to video film by first-time
feature by director Kharkar. Not surprisingly it still has a few
rough edges. Kharkar himself takes a small role as someone with
the unlikely name Agent Polecat. Actually several different
Kharkars show up in the titles and credits, making the film a
family affair. Music by Nik Phoeniks sets the tone of the film
handily. It uses its Chicago locations to add some visual
interest. I would rate COIN TOSS a +1 on the -4 to +4 scale or
6/10.
Special kudos for working into the plot references to the great
(and tragic) Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan. There is
also some discussion of Chaos Theory, but it is rare to find a
scientifically literate comedy.
Film Credits: <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2345503/combined>
Mark R. Leeper
mle...@optonline.net
Copyright 2013 Mark R. Leeper
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