ASSISTED LIVING — ** 1/2 — Michael Bonsignore, Maggie Riley, Nancy Jo Boone; not rated, probable R (drug use, mild profanity); see Page W2 for theaters.
"Assisted Living" could have gone one of two routes, and the filmmakers probably chose the wrong one.
Writer/director Elliot Greenebaum shot his first feature in a rather cooperative Kentucky nursing home. But instead of a straight documentary, he's made a fictional film that uses some real patients and staff members in the cast. The movie's major roles are played by professionals . . . well, semi-professionals.
The end result is a quasi-"mockumentary" that has a few enlightening moments but has just as many that are tedious.
At least part of that has to do with its choice of lead character Todd (Michael Bonsignore), a 20-something orderly with a chronic tardiness problem, as well an attitude problem. When he's in a good mood, this slacker is likely to stage fake phone calls from relatives of lonely patients. But when he's in a bad mood, he's just as likely to let one of their pets loose, just to see what happens.
The target of many of his random acts of kindness and cruelty is Mrs. Pearlman (Maggie Riley), who seems confused as to whether he's her best friend or her estranged son (her son is actually in Australia).
It's unclear whether Greenebaum thinks we should find Todd's shenanigans endearing, but the routine gets old pretty quickly. So does the film's employment of a faux-documentary style (resembling TV's "The Office").
To their credit, Greenebaum and cinematographer Marcel Cabrera have captured some eerily beautiful images — such as footage of wheelchair-bound patients attempting the aerobics they're watching on television.
Such moments are more thoughtful about the Golden Years — in fact, the film's most illuminating scenes are the real documentary snippets.
"Assisted Living" is not rated but would probably receive an R for simulated drug use (pot smoking), scattered use of mild profanity, and some violent scenes (briefly seen on a TV screen). Running time: 78 minutes.
E-mail: jeff@desnews.com