THINGS I NEVER TOLD YOU (Cosas que nunca te dije) (director/writer: Isabel Coixet; cinematographer: Teresa Medina ; editor: Kathryn Himoff; music: Alfonso Vilallonga; cast: Lily Taylor (Ann), Andrew McCarthy (Don Henderson), Seymour Cassel (Frank), Alexis Arquette (Paul), Leslie Mann (Laurie); Runtime: 93; MPAA Rating: NR; producers: Eddie Saeta/Javier Carbo; Seventh Art Releasing; 1996-Spain/USA)
“Succeeds in its efforts to be cute.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

Isabel Coixet directs and writes an off-beat comedy/drama about the search for love amidst the misery of existence, that succeeds in its efforts to be cute. Lili Taylor is an over educated camera shop clerk at a loss after being dumped by her foreign correspondent boyfriend in Prague via telephone, who out of the blue mentions he doesn’t love her anymore. Into the picture steps a lonely real estate salesman,Andrew McCarthy, temporarily working for dad after his relationship ended with him being dumped. He works nights as a volunteer for Hope Line to gain insight into his own depression, and takes Taylor’s desperate suicide call on the hot-line. They form a relationship when he goes into her camera store and they meet without realizing they spoke to each other. To complicate things further, Taylor makes some embarrassingly foolish video-tapes to send to her lover in hopes of explaining herself more to him. But the videos are stolen by the shy delivery boy Alexis Arquette, who has a secret crush on her.

An engaging and meaningful narrative follows along with likable performances and some plot surprises, as the overall tone remains quirky enough to veer away from the traps of sitcom.

It was filmed in St. Helens, Oregon.

REVIEWED ON 1/28/2004 GRADE: B

Dennis Schwartz: “Ozus’ World Movie Reviews”

© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED DENNIS SCHWARTZ