Not Rated, but probably would have been rated R for strong profanity, explicit dialogue, and some sexual content, including non-human nudity (a doll, some sculptures, etc.)!!!

PLEASE, I IMPLORE YOU, IF YOU ARE IN ANY WAY AN ENJOYER OF JEREMY SISTO, YOU HAVE TO BUY THIS FILM. (It was not on the shelves at my local Blockbuster store, so I wonder if ANY place has it for RENT) This was a long awaited movie for many hard-core Sisto fans, filmed in the summer of 1998 (around the same time Jeremy did THE '60s and several months before he worked on the JESUS movie). THIS SPACE was in distribution limbo for some 6 or 7 years, and some of us nearly gave up hoping to ever see it. It IS released to DVD as of Nov. 7th, so if you've been waiting, see it. My review will probably be long (too long) and full of details. If you don't wait spoilers, DON'T READ MY REVIEW YET : )

I have now seen the first 3 of Matthew Leutwyler's films, and I must say, I find his style very fun. I loved the heck out of the "dark" comedy ROAD KILL, which starred Erik Palladino and Jennifer Rubin, and told the story of a burnt out hitwoman who befriends a naive filmmaker and lets him go out on the road with her on assignment. I also thoroughly enjoyed the blood-drenched hick horror, DEAD & BREAKFAST, which turned out to be a surprise indie hit grossing around $80 million in festival and limited release receipts.

Leutwyler's writing and directing style just has a personality about it that I love. His second indie project, THIS SPACE BETWEEN US, is not a dark comedy nor a horror, but rather a pleasing mixed genre, romantic comedy, character study, drama. And it is here where I have decided the full spectrum of Leutwyler's film talent is on display. Based loosely on his life, THIS SPACE follows the difficult journey of Alex Harty (Jeremy Sisto) a 29 year old fledgling filmmaker whose promising resume included several small films and music videos, and an award for Best Director that he won in 1995.

Alex was also happily married to Maggie (Vanessa Marcil)a young woman who was not only dazzlingly beautiful, but smart, funny, and charismatic. In other words, perfection. At least she was perfect for Alex.

But Maggie was suddenly taken from Alex. The film does not describe how they met, and does not talk about what lead them to fall in love and decide to marry. Furthermore, the film does not reveal how Maggie died. I assumed it was a car wreck, as Leutwyler talked in articles about how he lost his mother that way. That plus you hear Maggie in the middle of LA traffic, on a tape of her last answering machine messages, that Alex has kept since her death.

The point is, Alex lost Maggie, and now, 2 years later, he is still struggling to recover, wanting to move on, yet unable, or maybe unwilling, to accept that the life he had with Maggie is over. Perhaps it's just too painful to try to think of the unknown future. He prefers to live in days past, watching old home videos, keeping the little tape machine close beside him, listening to her recordings over and over again, the voice of Maggie his only companion as he continues to exist in a self-imposed shell.

His once bright career has suffered too. Unable to muster up any enthusiasm for filmmaking, he decides to take the one script he has finished to a producer. Played excellently by Garry Marshall, Steve Mayland is so rude and condescending to Alex that Alex ends up facing felony assault charges that Mayland will drop ONLY if Alex agrees to a terrible contract. Having been advised by his agent Chip (terrific Andy Berman) to direct and write a new episode of PUNKY BREWSTER, Alex is just about convinced that his life is over, and in order to avoid going COMPLETELY insane, he's gotta get the hell out of L.A.

Some people would have driven to some unknown place where they could be totally alone, collect their thoughts, but as Alex has spent the past 2 years completely alone in that dungeon of an apartment, he feels it's time to revisit his hometown of San Francisco, and to be near people rather than to spend another second torturing himself in solitude.

Upon arriving in the bay area, Alex drives his old Dodge Dart around, inspecting the cul-de-sac he grew up in, until the old car runs out of gas, resulting in a hugely funny scene, where he meets a warm-hearted and pretty French lady named Zoe Goddard (Clara Bellar), who also grew up in the neighborhood, and her unfortunate dog, Dakota.

Alex seeks out his best friend from high school, Arden Ansfield (played with charm by Poppy Montgomery), a photographer who resides in historic North Beach. Of all the relationships in the film, this was the one that made the biggest impression on me. The two immediately resume their old and comfortable habits of debating about sex and love. It's truly hilarious to hear Arden boasting that she has grown considerably talented in the art of fellatio, while Alex admonishes her, "We're in a restaurant!!!" Sisto and Montgomery have excellent chemistry, though you know right away that Alex and Arden will never be romantic together. Somehow it goes without saying that their friendship is too strong for either of them to compromise it. It's a rare thing to see two people of the opposite sex having this kind of comraderie, and a joy to watch them (Alex somewhat reluctantly) return to the juvenile pranks targeted at Sterling Montross (excellent Vincent Ventresca), who is not only Arden's ex-fiance, but tormented Alex in high school.

It seems a return to the days of old is just the medicine Alex needs, but Arden is pretty angry and bitter about how things worked out with Sterling, and she ends up hurting Alex's feelings when she gently tells him that even though he did manage to snag the woman of his dreams, he didn't get to keep her, and, like Arden and the rest of the world, will end up settling on whoever will have him in order to avoid growing old and alone. By watching him, you can tell Alex is forced to ponder the wisdom of his decision to drive up here. He cannot escape the fact that everyone knows his whole sad story.

Peternelle (Alex Kingston) knows the story as well as everyone. A friend of the late Maggie's, Peternelle has pictures of Maggie all over her lavishly decorated mansion in Pacific Heights. She is as pleased to see Alex in town as anyone, and asks him to stay in her home as a guest, obviously quite lonely, even with her two cute little yap dogs. Upon first glance, she seems like one of those flaky posers that is really phony and annoying, but deep down, even with her slight nuttiness, Peternelle is a kind soul. She invites Alex and anyone he's willing to bring to her fundraiser for a friend and "poet" named Joshua Wilde (Taylor Negron, who is hysterically funny, especially in a puking scene). For reasons he can't quite figure out, except that she is nice to him, Alex invites Zoe.

Alex also joins his friends Jon (Cracker's David Charles Lowery) and Lisa Sweeny (Low Hum Satellite's Kate Donnellon), a married couple whose band and music video got Alex his first filmmaker's recognition a few years earlier, and old buddy Jesse Fleer (played by natural clown Erik Palladino) for a few beers (and old TV show songs) in one of their old San Francisco hangouts.

Did I already say that most of this film is made up of Alex and his friends just talking and reminiscing of the fun they had in years gone by? Because it's true. The story pretty much follows Alex as he is surrounded by crazy, quirky, sometimes annoying, but always very caring friends, friends who know how heartbroken he's been, and who, instead of repeating things they probably already said at Maggie's funeral (she was from the Bay Area too, not L.A. so it's assumed that she was buried where she came from, and that these friends all attended), they simply do their everyday thing, which is what Alex needs, even if these same good friends ARE crazy, quirky and sometimes annoying. Because being around them makes him understand that he is not the only one who has been a neurotic basket case lately.

Jesse is no exception, being that he thinks about sex almost 24 hours a day. He's constantly hitting on women, often watching or reading skin material, and heading into bankruptcy (he HAD to be) by purchasing a $5000+ silicone doll named Jasmine (I saw a show on these dolls on HBO and they are made to order, complete with fuckable orifices).

He's also very nosy about Alex's sex life, and it is simultaneously hilarious and sweet as Alex makes some revelations that leave the unarguably oversexed Jesse simply speechless.

During Alex's several day visit, the friends all attend Peternelle's fundraiser, and everyone notices that Alex seems to light up in the presence of the lovely Zoe.

The seemingly harmless war of pranks against Sterling turns decidedly ugly, and Arden has one last good cry before deciding she needs to move on.

And Alex, after 2 years of living in the past and being dead to the present, finally understands that Maggie is gone, forever, and that he has to say goodbye.

There is a reason why some of those websites have a little blurb that says, "One of Sisto's best opportunities to date was the film This Space Between Us". I love everything he does. His characters are always very alive. Sometimes I don't love the film as much as I love what he was able to bring to it. I think I am being totally honest when I say that I love THIS film completely. I love all the actors and what they brought to their characters. I love the director and that wickedly funny wit that is also present in ROAD KILL and DEAD & BREAKFAST. I love the genre and will always find much more enjoyment in small character-driven fare rather than huge blockbusters that leave me with nothing to chew on. I love the music, which is mostly upbeat rock and alternative, and features another version of the achingly beautiful song "Bright".

But the thing I love most about this film is Jeremy's amazing skill in bringing this character to life. Alex smiles and laughs all through the story, but we never forget the underlying sadness, because when he is sad, it's subtle, yet packs an emotional wallop. You'd better have lots of Kleenex on hand, that's all there is to it. It's a beautiful, beautiful performance. I'm not lying when I say that this is one of the most satisfying Jeremy movies you will ever see, if not THE most satisfying. The film has a spirit that is both naughty and nice, sexy and innocent. Whether you're a die-hard Sisto fan or in doubt because you can't see him as anything except "Jesus" or "Billy" or "Elton", you really MUST see THIS SPACE BETWEEN US. It is worth every second of eight long years of waiting. I give it an A++++++++++

Is my review just a wee bit enthusiastic??? Damn straight!!! : )

CAST

Jeremy Sisto as ALEX HARTY

Poppy Montgomery as ARDEN ANSFIELD

Erik Palladino as JESSE FLEER

Clara Bellar as ZOE GODDARD

Vincent Ventresca as STERLING MONTROSS

Vanessa Marcil as MAGGIE HARTY

Alex Kingston as PETERNELLE

Andy Berman as CHIP

Leslie Bibb as SUMMER (JESSE'S PARTY DATE/STARFUCKER)

Brian Van Der Ark as TAGGER

David Lowery as JON SWEENEY

Kate Donnellon as LISA SWEENEY

Low Hum Satellite as SASHA'S ASHES (BAND)

Deb Fink as CAMMIE (PREGNANT WOMAN JESSE LIKES)

Danielle Bassett as JESSE'S SOCCER PLAYER GIRLFRIEND

Garry Marshall as STEVE MAYLAND

Taylor Negron as JOSHUA WILDE

and Nika as JASMINE (JESSE'S SEX DOLL)

Directed by Matthew Leutwyler

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