This is a decent little flick that weaves deception, obsession and sexuality through the lives of several characters. Gil Bellows (of The Shawshank Redemption and Ally McBeal) plays David Daily, a Louisville, Ky., radio show host who quickly finds his life falling apart. He finds solace in the company of a young woman named Melody (Jennifer Westfeldt of "Kissing Jessica Stein") who has relationship issues of her own.
The refreshing part of this relationship is that it's not sexual. Most Hollywood productions push a man and woman toward the bedroom as quickly as they can, but "Keep Your Distance" takes a different tack: David isn't interested in cheating on his wife.
Ironically, it's this very idea that endangers Melody, as her spurned boyfriend becomes increasingly obsessed with her, following her around and eventually catching her with David.
David is the film's best-written character, as writer/director Stu Pollard explores his issues well. When David catches his wife in bed with another woman, she invites him to join them. Instead of being driven by his hormones, David is a thoughtful character and weighs his options before making his decision.
The film is far from perfect, though. Many of the film's metaphors are heavy-handed and obvious, and there are really just too many characters who don't get fleshed out. I never felt like I was really getting to know these characters, and most of them didn't change throughout the course of the story.
But in total, it's a serviceable, enjoyable thriller with superb production values for an independent film, stellar acting and several good scenes, including one where David coaches a team of Little Leaguers on how to give a post-game interview just like the pros.
The refreshing part of this relationship is that it's not sexual. Most Hollywood productions push a man and woman toward the bedroom as quickly as they can, but "Keep Your Distance" takes a different tack: David isn't interested in cheating on his wife.
Ironically, it's this very idea that endangers Melody, as her spurned boyfriend becomes increasingly obsessed with her, following her around and eventually catching her with David.
David is the film's best-written character, as writer/director Stu Pollard explores his issues well. When David catches his wife in bed with another woman, she invites him to join them. Instead of being driven by his hormones, David is a thoughtful character and weighs his options before making his decision.
The film is far from perfect, though. Many of the film's metaphors are heavy-handed and obvious, and there are really just too many characters who don't get fleshed out. I never felt like I was really getting to know these characters, and most of them didn't change throughout the course of the story.
But in total, it's a serviceable, enjoyable thriller with superb production values for an independent film, stellar acting and several good scenes, including one where David coaches a team of Little Leaguers on how to give a post-game interview just like the pros.