h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Amber Benson - ’Chance’ Movie - Chances are good for disappointment
From Miami.com - By Connie Ogle - 2005-03-12th

CHANCE (Unrated)

Chance presents a great temptation to rabid fans of the late, great Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Written, directed and produced by Amber Benson, who played the doomed witch Tara for a couple of seasons, the low-low-low-budget romantic comedy from 2002 stars Benson and popular Buffy alum James Marsters -- truly the best thing that ever happened to the TV series -- as roommates who can’t quite make the leap to becoming lovers.

Chance (Benson) is a free spirit with a trust fund who shuns commitment; loser Simon (Marsters, sporting his bleached Buffy locks), a phone salesman with bad body odor, can’t get a date despite cheekbones for miles and the sort of washboard abs one dreams about seeing in real life.

But even Buffy fans will be wretchedly disappointed. Chance is a shockingly inept, incoherent mess, poorly written and abominably directed, with virtually nothing to recommend it. Benson strives for a punky edginess -- Chance narrates her romantic and unbearably dull parental woes directly to the camera with a lively variety of obscenities and intersperses appearances by a guitar-wielding troubadour singing of lust, longing and some other angsty 20-something stuff. But most of her musings -- we’re all afraid of death and wary of romantic entanglements -- are as inane and pedestrian as her rebellious and baffling actions, which include, but are not limited to, dressing Simon in drag and painting a goatee on herself to greet her mother when she comes to visit.

There’s one intriguing moment: the appearance of Andy Hallett, formerly of Angel, without his green demon makeup. Beyond that, though, Chance, despite Benson’s best efforts, just gives indie quirkiness a bad name.

Cast: Amber Benson, James Marsters, Andy Hallett, Tressa DiFiglia.

Director/screenwriter/producer: Amber Benson.

Ouch! Then again, as a reviewer myself, I can say: never trust 'em, especially if you haven't read any of their other reviews. Any news on when it will make the transatlantic crossing, Doc? Or will it become one of those straight-to-video releases?

On a more positive note, this is a chance to alert Buffy fans to a movie they might enjoy, even though there's not a Buffyverse actor in sight. It's called 'Lost and Delirious' (Léa Poole, 2001) and stars Mischa Barton, Jessica Paré and a truly inspired Piper Perabo. Some of the elements are familiar to BtVS adepts: teen angst, school, a lesbian relationship and loads of Shakespeare. From a censor's point of view it's the complete opposite of Buffy: Almost no violence (or special effects), but quite a few swear words and female nudity. The acting is excellent, the story moving, and the directing straightforward and skillful.

Okay, I hear you say, but why should this be of particular interest to Buffy fans? Well, there's this one scene, you see. The girls are in English class, discussing Shakespeare's Macbeth (Lady M's "take my milk for gall"-speech) and when the teacher asks them what they think it's about, one of their classmates, a certain Cordelia, says "Uhhh... vampires? [...] Well, just... all the blood...". Now if that's not a nod to our beloved Buffy... Especially since there is a very similar scene in Out of Mind, Out of Sight: Buffy's class discussing The Merchant of Venice, with young Miss Chase going off on a tangent about Shylock.

So, if you ever get the chance to see 'Lost and delirious', take it. Tape it if you have to. You won't regret it.

PS It has a great soundtrack, too.