Wil Conroy's debut feature is the latest in a long line of fish-out-of-water movies in which a self-absorbed yuppie learns the error of his ways by immersing himself in a different, laid-back culture.
Although not exactly surprising in its plot developments, the film -- which recalls such efforts as "Local Hero" and the indie "Sweet Lorraine" -- makes the formula work yet again. "Catalina Trust" was a crowd-pleaser at the Nantucket Film Festival, where it received its world premiere.
The protagonist is Marshall (Jay Harrington), an up-and-coming Manhattan marketer who's about to marry a rich debutante, the beautiful Kitty (Erica Shaffer), and move into a luxury apartment. The death of his grandfather, the proprietor of an old-fashioned inn in Arizona, derails his plans. Informed that he's due for a rich inheritance on the condition that he travel to Arizona to settle his grandfather's affairs, Marshall reluctantly makes the trip, accompanied by his jovial foster brother Freddie (David Vegh), who has only recently graduated from law school.
In Tucson, Ariz., the two young men are introduced to the luxurious hotel and its staffers, including Siobhan (Arabella Holzbog), the grandfather's beautiful and strong-willed Irish secretary. Needless to say, the employees and longtime guests are a colorful lot (a chef who rebels against making club sandwiches and a trio of dotty old ladies, among others), and the inn is a magnificent, old-fashioned establishment based on traditional rules of service.
Marshall, aided by a smooth-talking lawyer (John Shea), attempts to take over the place so it can be torn down for a shopping mall -- and soon finds himself haunted by the ghost of his grandfather. You can well imagine the remaining plot developments.
Director-screenwriter Conroy is clearly working from the heart and has filmed his tale at the Arizona Inn, a real hotel that in fact has been in his family for decades. The atmosphere of the establishment and the picturesque Arizona locations add greatly to the film's impact, which is otherwise marred by a tentativeness and unevenness in its storytelling. The filmmaker is perhaps so close to his story that he has neglected to fill it in with the proper texture.
We never clearly see why Marshall falls in love with the hotel or with the fiery Siobhan, for example, and the lack of delineation in his transformation -- the central element of the story -- reduces the film's impact greatly. And the melodramatic plot developments involving the lawyer's shady manipulations and the true relationship between the foster brothers are awkwardly handled and staged.
To its credit, the film doesn't take itself too seriously, and like its central location, it possesses a great deal of charm. Harrington and Holzbog are an attractive romantic team, and Vegh is a consistent delight as the wisecracking brother. Shea brings a smooth charm to the role of the lawyer, and Shaffer is so appealing as Kitty that she almost throws the film's romantic triangle off balance.
Some notable progeny are involved here. Director-screenwriter Conroy is the son of famed novelist Pat Conroy ("The Prince of Tides"), while one of the executive producers, Michael Mailer, is the son of Norman.
CATALINA TRUST
A Bigel/Mailer Films production
Credits: Writer-director: Wil Conroy; Producers: Todd Hagopian, David Kohner-Zuckerman; Executive producers: Michael Mailer, Dan Bigel, Mary Anne Page; Director of photography: David Parker; Editors: Anne McCabe, Ben Desousa; Music: Ed Grenga. Cast: Marshall: Jay Harrington; Offerman: John Shea; Siobhan: Arabella Holzbog; Freddie: David Vegh; Kitty: Erica Shaffer. No MPAA rating. Color/stereo. Running time -- 90 minutes.
Although not exactly surprising in its plot developments, the film -- which recalls such efforts as "Local Hero" and the indie "Sweet Lorraine" -- makes the formula work yet again. "Catalina Trust" was a crowd-pleaser at the Nantucket Film Festival, where it received its world premiere.
The protagonist is Marshall (Jay Harrington), an up-and-coming Manhattan marketer who's about to marry a rich debutante, the beautiful Kitty (Erica Shaffer), and move into a luxury apartment. The death of his grandfather, the proprietor of an old-fashioned inn in Arizona, derails his plans. Informed that he's due for a rich inheritance on the condition that he travel to Arizona to settle his grandfather's affairs, Marshall reluctantly makes the trip, accompanied by his jovial foster brother Freddie (David Vegh), who has only recently graduated from law school.
In Tucson, Ariz., the two young men are introduced to the luxurious hotel and its staffers, including Siobhan (Arabella Holzbog), the grandfather's beautiful and strong-willed Irish secretary. Needless to say, the employees and longtime guests are a colorful lot (a chef who rebels against making club sandwiches and a trio of dotty old ladies, among others), and the inn is a magnificent, old-fashioned establishment based on traditional rules of service.
Marshall, aided by a smooth-talking lawyer (John Shea), attempts to take over the place so it can be torn down for a shopping mall -- and soon finds himself haunted by the ghost of his grandfather. You can well imagine the remaining plot developments.
Director-screenwriter Conroy is clearly working from the heart and has filmed his tale at the Arizona Inn, a real hotel that in fact has been in his family for decades. The atmosphere of the establishment and the picturesque Arizona locations add greatly to the film's impact, which is otherwise marred by a tentativeness and unevenness in its storytelling. The filmmaker is perhaps so close to his story that he has neglected to fill it in with the proper texture.
We never clearly see why Marshall falls in love with the hotel or with the fiery Siobhan, for example, and the lack of delineation in his transformation -- the central element of the story -- reduces the film's impact greatly. And the melodramatic plot developments involving the lawyer's shady manipulations and the true relationship between the foster brothers are awkwardly handled and staged.
To its credit, the film doesn't take itself too seriously, and like its central location, it possesses a great deal of charm. Harrington and Holzbog are an attractive romantic team, and Vegh is a consistent delight as the wisecracking brother. Shea brings a smooth charm to the role of the lawyer, and Shaffer is so appealing as Kitty that she almost throws the film's romantic triangle off balance.
Some notable progeny are involved here. Director-screenwriter Conroy is the son of famed novelist Pat Conroy ("The Prince of Tides"), while one of the executive producers, Michael Mailer, is the son of Norman.
CATALINA TRUST
A Bigel/Mailer Films production
Credits: Writer-director: Wil Conroy; Producers: Todd Hagopian, David Kohner-Zuckerman; Executive producers: Michael Mailer, Dan Bigel, Mary Anne Page; Director of photography: David Parker; Editors: Anne McCabe, Ben Desousa; Music: Ed Grenga. Cast: Marshall: Jay Harrington; Offerman: John Shea; Siobhan: Arabella Holzbog; Freddie: David Vegh; Kitty: Erica Shaffer. No MPAA rating. Color/stereo. Running time -- 90 minutes.
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