New Best Friend (2002)
Directed by Zoe Clarke-Williams
Written by Victoria Strouse
Starring Meredith Monroe, Mia Kirschner, Dominique Swain, Taye Diggs
Release Date April 12th, 2002
Published May 15th, 2002
Earlier this year I lamented what made a talented actress like Dominique Swain take such ridiculously stupid roles as the ones she took in Tart and Smokers. I'm still trying to understand it as here she is in yet another teen-oriented, softcore porno aimed at dirty old men too embarrassed to go for the all out porn. Swain just keeps making the same terrible choices and it's becoming rather embarrassing.
In ``New Best Friend'' Swain is relegated to a supporting role in service of former “Dawson's Creek” star Meredith Monroe. Monroe is Hadley Weston, rich-bitch sorority girl who with her posse of coked up college idiots goes about corrupting an A student loner played by Mia Kirschner. But just who is doing the corrupting? Alicia Glazer (Kirschner) takes quickly to her new social status, indulging in the alcohol and cocaine filled nights of meaningless sex and stupidity.
All of this unfolds in flashback as Alicia lies in the hospital near death and the local sheriff Artie Bonner (Taye Diggs) investigates her new friends whom he suspects of foul play. The film’s flashback style and narrative is a nod to Citizen Kane crossed with Legally Blonde and Cruel Intentions, a concoction lifted directly from the seventh circle of hell.
Meredith Monroe was wonderful as the sweet but troubled Andie McPhee on “Dawson's Creek.” In New Best Friend, however, she is completely overmatched attempting to play the Shannon Doherty-like uberbitch. Swain meanwhile, is her usual nymphet self, this time throwing in a lesbian scene to satisfy her dirty old men fan club. Her role requires no acting whatsoever; just remove clothes and kiss whomever, be it man or woman.
What in God's name is Taye Diggs doing in this film!?! Diggs is a good-looking, charismatic guy who could play any number of lead roles, but chooses to star in this trash. Taye, do yourself a favor and fire your agent. Diggs must have owed the director of New Best Friend a massive favor, or more likely he's suffered from some sort of blackmail. It's the only reasonable explanation.
New Best Friend is disgustingly stupid, utterly vapid trash, just perfect for the soft core B-movie market. No matter how bad this movie is, it will rent big and likely make a pretty good profit. Yet somehow we are still the greatest country in the world. I'm giving the film one star as a nod to Taye Diggs and because I loved Monroe on “Dawson's Creek.”
What? Oh, like you've never watched it.
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