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Cast: Ariana Dubynin, Randy Ryan, Matthew W. Allen, Neil S. Bagadiong, Bill Bannister, Tim Barrett, Mariah Daisy-Sharp, China Doll, Amy Esacove
Joe is a 40-year-old womanizer until he meets Amanda. It's love at first sight and a match made in heaven. They enjoy a storybook romance and decide to get married, much to the dismay of Joe's quirky but loving parents. It's marital bliss until Joe discovers that Amanda was born a man and had a sex change at age 18! Devastated by Amanda's shocking admission, Joe sends her out the door. After much thought, however, Joe comes to his senses and realizes that Amanda was the best thing that ever happened to him. In his quest to find Amanda and rekindle their relationship.
Amanda is one of those films that the more you talk about it the more you ruin it for those that haven't seen it yet. The synopsis above gives the basic set-up which I must admit seemed a bit creepy to me, it had me thinking how I might react to such a thing if it happened to me. That aside there are some twists and turns a long the way in the story that keep you guessing as well like a mysterious man and car that keeps appearing but the film keeps you guessing on all that till the very end. The cast is terrific, Randy Ryan and Ariana Dubynin are great as Joe and Amanda and they have great chemistry together which was important in a film such as this. The supporting cast were are fantastic as well and the the production values were top-notch. I really enjoyed this and felt the clever and original script really made the difference here and it separated this film from so many other romantic comedies out there. Like any film like this there are happy times and sad times as well during the course of the movie but I was left with a smile on my face when the credits began to roll. Amanda is funny, romantic, sad and even thought-provoking, it's a film that grabs your attention right from the start but after the film moves along the more invested you become in finding out if Joe can win Amanda back, as well as wondering and waiting to find out just who this mysterious man in the film is and what role is will actually play. I loved the ending and thought it was a perfect fit for a film that breathes new life into a genre that has lost a lot of it's originality. Aimed more toward a female audience but if you guys give it a chance I am sure you going to find it just as enjoyable. All that is left to say is if you like the genre do not miss picking Amanda up. The DVD comes with bonus features that include:
Audio Commentary by Writer/Director Steve Marra
Evidence of Life" a short film by Steve Marra
Cast & Crew Interviews
Outtakes
Behind the Scenes Featurette
Trailer
Released by Osiris Entertainment
**** Out Of *****