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FILM THREAT's review Of "Temporary Girl" from Austin Film Fe

FILM THREAT's Review | Los Angeles, California USA | 06/24/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Easily the most stylistically original and distinctive film on the competition side of the aisle, Johnny White's "Temporary Girl" is a goofy and refreshing comedy that not only asks if there's a Statute of Limitations on dreams, but examines the occasional incompatibility of those dreams with the lives of those who hold them dear.



All this in a film about Jeanette, a fourteen year "temporary" worker who spends her days on the job dodging the boss and her annoying co-workers long enough to xerox head shots, sweeten her acting resume on the company computer, make tape dubs in the basement A/V center, etc. So intent is Jeanette on pushing her struggling performance career, that she's jeopardizing her marriage to a husband who's already realized he's never going to "make it" as a rock star. While hubby has settled into a managerial job at a record store and now desperately wants kids, Jeanette still stubbornly and obsessively chases her big break.



Writer (and co-director) Lisa Kotin was born, it seems, to play the harried and frazzled Jeanette, while the film, with several undercranked scenes and gaudy, in-your-face art direction, is a visual treat from the brilliantly animated opening credits on.



"Temporary Girl" is definitely on the raw side with a slightly amateurish feel and Jeanette's co-workers are all merely one dimensional caricatures. But it is good fun and the ironic "careful what you wish for" ending was a perfect finale.



"film threat" review of temporary girl, now available on dvd...and netflix."