Left Overs

A Troma release without nudity, toxic waste, shit-eating, or projectile vomiting? What's going on here? Is producer Lloyd Kaufman starting to take the "independent cinema" label seriously? Because Left Overs could've been put out by any number of independent companies. Loosely structured in a similar fashion to Clerks, the film follows one week in the life of four roommates, beginning with the least "slacker-ish" of the bunch (Todd Stanton) losing his girlfriend (Cyndy Preston), and culminating in the party where he tries to get her back. Meanwhile, there's much drinking, pot-smoking, sex talk, and use of the words "dude" and "man." The film may be too close to real life: nothing much happens, and these guys are exactly like the slovenly roommates many of us have encountered at some point in life. As a comedy, it needs more wit if we are to feel anything other than relief at not living with similar people. As a drama it's more workable, although we only really start to feel for the protagonists on Saturday, the emotional climax of the piece (the film is evenly divided into day segments). There's nothing wrong with the film; it feels real enough, and none of the acting is bad or the dialogue unconvincing, but it needs something more to elevate it from simply a bunch of friends making a movie together for their own amusement.