Little Shots Of Happiness . Austin Chronicle . 03-30-98

Little Shots Of Happiness

DIRECTED BY: Todd Verow

REVIEWED: 03-30-98

If you believe her husband, Frances Collins used to be "an agoraphobic freak." But Frances has decided to change all that. In the film's first few minutes, she has begun her descent into a gritty life of drinking, smoking, and screwing. These little "shots" of happiness become a daily ritual, an escape from her drab telemarketing position where her dimwitted coworkers never catch on to her angel-like secret identity. But soon we witness the often brutal repercussions of Frances' seemingly weightless liberation, and our heroine must pay the price for her debauched escapades. Writer/director/producer Verow's script manages some moments of sheer delight, and Bonnie Dickenson is downright adorable in her loopy abandon. But at some point, Verow is unable to resolve, or even keep pace with, the capers he sets in motion. By the film's end, the narrative has too many frayed ends to weave together, and the hurried conclusion is at best two hands thrown up in frustration. It's a dull disappointment for a film that glimmers with so much else.

--Sarah Hepola

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