Eerie ‘Crumb Catcher’ is the mother of invention
From the start, the occurrences occurring in “Crumb Catcher” seem a tad askew. We begin with a wedding photo shoot in which the bride and groom behave more like unacquainted models than lovers. So awkward are they, the photographer must direct them in how to appear the happy couple.
It almost seems like a marriage of convenience for aspiring writer, Shane (Rigo Garay), and his editor, Leah (Ella Rae Peck). It’s a perception strengthened when we see Shane awake the next morning with Leah nowhere in sight. The mystery deepens when the now reunited pair reach their honeymoon destination, a gorgeous Hudson Valley vacation home owned by Leah’s boss. Why, you ask yourself, aren’t these two young attractive newlyweds jumping each other’s bones?
It’s as if writer-director Chris Skotchdopole purposely sought out two actors with zero chemistry. But again, why? The answer comes knocking at their door in the person of John (John Speredakos), a middle-aged waiter and emissary for the folks who catered the duo’s reception. As much as Leah begs Shane not to open the door, he does. And, boy, will they be sorry.
For John hasn’t just brought the top of Shane and Leah’s wedding cake on this late-night visit, but also his surly partner, Rose (Lorraine Farris), and a new invention in which he’d like our unconventional twosome to invest. It’s called a crumb catcher, a table-sweeping device intended to encourage more intimate conversations between lovers by eliminating unwelcome interruptions by waiters – ironically, like himself.
The pitch, as John terms it, involves Shane and Leah fronting him $50,000 to begin production on his creation. Failing that, John quickly resorts to Plan B: blackmail. Either cough up the cash or a highly incriminating video of Shane’s drunken wedding night shenanigans goes viral, possibly destroying his burgeoning writing career, not to mention his newly minted marriage.
The scenario is a relatively derivative one, but Skotchdopole’s presentation of events is more than just a bit intriguing. You just wish he hadn’t taken so long to reach his ultimate destination. Ah, but once there, it’s difficult not to be compelled by the parable of an unwanted houseguest tearing asunder an already fragile union. All comparisons to today’s volatile political climate are welcome, as John has fun tormenting Shane and Leah with a rush of dizzying spin not unlike that we’re subjected to nightly on cable news.
We could turn away, just like Shane and Leah could shove John and Rose out the door. But we don’t. Why? Possibly because – like Shane and Leah – we secretly take some joy in watching the slow-motion trainwreck. And the longer the intrusion continues, the more desperate the situation grows until violence becomes inevitable.
It’s a neat scheme on Skotchdopole’s part and his small ensemble does a fine – albeit sometimes grating – job carrying it out. But it’s not quite as funny and clever as he thinks. It’s also utterly implausible, but it does provoke the idea of how closely it parallels a fractured world in which we’re constantly being fast-talked, manipulated and lied to by unscrupulous politicians and the deep-pocketed one-percenters.
Here the victims are a career woman and her husband – a Hispanic born to an abusive, alcoholic father and who, despite the odds, has overcome his poor upbringing to make a modest name for himself, a reputation now at risk of being erased. Garay, who had a hand in shaping Skotchdopole’s script, is pitch-perfect as the justifiably distrustful Shane. He sees the world as a collection of takers who do little to disguise their insincerity. He trusts no one, not even Leah, whom he suspects of using him to help advance her career.
It’s a kick watching Garay as he elevates Shane from obedient lapdog to ruthless avenger. He finds the perfect sparring partner in Speredakos, who robustly depicts John as a man so devoid of dignity you’re convinced he’d sell his own mother if it would yield a profit. Farris’ Rose, while far more combative, is not much better. In other words, they could both get elected to Congress and would fit right in.
That leaves it up to Peck’s Leah to act as the voice of reason. Little does she know she’s the real victim. She’s kind, caring and vulnerable to the three despicable human beings encircling her. And by the time she realizes this, it may well be too late.
Where the film falters, besides the cheap shots it takes at people on the spectrum, is in its heavy reliance on genre tropes. You can easily predict every plot twist, and the shifts in tone can be jarring. Same for the intensity of the escalating violence. It gets pretty nutty toward the stretch as Skotchdopole comes precariously close to literally running his vehicle off the road.
Still, it’s quite an impressive showing by a newbie filmmaker who does far more than one might expected on a limited budget and with a quartet of unfamiliar actors. It’s all instantly forgettable, but in the moment you’re spellbound. Dare I say, you’ll buy what it’s selling? Invest in it and see. Sorry, no refunds.
Movie review
Crumb Catcher
Rated: Not rated
Cast: Rigo Garay, Ella Rae Peck, John Speredakos and Lorraine Farris
Director: Chris Skotchdopole
Writer: Chris Skotchdopole
Runtime: 103 minutes
Where: In theaters July 19
Grade: B-
