Rest for the Wicked
Rating: 6/10
Cast: Tony Barry, John Bach, Ian Mune, Sara Wiseman
Director: Simon Pattison
It's off to the rest homes for this detective story.
Tony Barry stars as Murray Baxter, a cop going undercover to finally get his oldest rival, Frank (This Is Not My Life's John Bach). Baxter's been pursuing his prey for years but has never had enough goods to seal the case and send Frank down.
But convinced heading into the rest home where Frank lives will help him gather the evidence he needs, he's prepared to risk it all.
However, when Murray gets to Knightsbridge Gardens, another couple of deaths occur and he's convinced Frank's behind them and that it's only a matter of time before his nemesis slips up...
Rest For The Wicked is probably a film for a generation in its twilight years. With a cast mainly recognizable from their long body of work in the Kiwi industry and a current Go Girls star, there will be a lot of familiar faces in this gently comic piece.
Tony Barry is venerable and dignified in his lead role and brings a gentleness to the dogged Murray who just can't put his grudge against Frank behind him; Bach is equally as impressive as the slightly sinister Frank who oozes a menace and calm that makes it hard to see if he is actually the bad guy or not.
As for the rest of the rest home cast, I'm not sure some won't be offended by their portrayal as a slightly batty, over sexed and comical bunch; there's one old gentleman who goes on about Australia and two elderly ladies who are out to seduce Murray.
There's a twist in the tale, which to be honest, you can see a mile off - but Simon Pattison does a reasonable job of guiding us through this tale. From its wryly amusing opening sequence of Frank as a Dirty Harry type taking down the inhabitants of a P Lab before making off on his mobility scooter to its ending, there's a whimsical feel to the film, which while not fully captivating, does allow its elderly cast to prove, once again, talent knows no boundaries.
