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Cast: Jason Patric, Samantha Morton, Teri Garr, Illeana Douglas
Claire (Samantha Morton) lives a sheltered life, taking care of her invalid mother and working as a traffic enforcement officer. When she meets the equally shy Jay (Jason Patric), the pair falls in love. This is the first intimate relationship for both of them, opening the door for awkwardness and fear, tenderness and hilarity.
After watching this film it makes me wonder why it took two years to make it's way to home video. This is one of the best Independent romances I have seen in some time. The story is simple but captivating, Claire and Jay seem like a perfect match when they meet on the job, two broken souls looking for love to complete their lives but they could not be more different. Claire deals with everything in a calm and tender matter and Jay deals with it all in an aggressive and angry way. The film is laced with dark humor but I felt kind of guilty laughing when Jay would have his outbursts towards Claire, as funny as it seems it is still sad to see. By the end of the movie you will be hating Jay because his moods get worse as the film moves along. The cast is brilliant, I cannot see Jason Patric without thinking of the film "Narc" which was his best film, at least until now. Jason always had great range when it comes to playing a character but he is fantastic here at playing a man whose moods can change at the drop of a hat. Samantha Morton is one of the best actresses in Hollywood and she is amazing here as the timid Claire. Jason and Samantha have great chemistry together and it shows as the two different personalities blend perfectly together. The supporting cast is also terrific including Teri Garr and Illeana Douglas. I would like to go on about the story but if I did I would only ruin it for those of you wanting to see it. There is a wonderful story here that is well-written, each character is believable and the film leaves you with some food for thought as well. An unusual and unique romance that moves ahead slowly and deliberately captivating the audience all the way to the end. As far as Independent films go this is one of the best and most original films I have seen. You will feel a multitude of emotions as the story unfolds and in the end you will be left with a little smile on your facing knowing that everything is going to be ok. The DVD comes with Special Features that include, Original Cinemascope Presentation, Making of Featurette, Deleted Scenes and Trailers. If you love cinema you owe it to yourself to see Expired. a oddball story with Oscar-worthy performances.
Released by The Asylum Home Entertainment
***** Out Of *****