Hey folks, Valkor here. After this review I'm only four away from the big 200. It's actually an exciting moment for me because I didn't think I'd come so far - I only kicked in with film reviews starting in 2008, but even then I was slow to churn out the reviews as I should. But back films trickled into the Val-Cave; now the DVDs are flowing in – and I'm pretty pleased with that. So the next film dug from the TOV pile…. Playing House? What is this? Is this another Lifetime film? Because if it is I swear to g… huh? There's nudity? DAT ASS you say? Well then by all means good sir carry on! Spoilers ahead!
Playing House opens simple enough in a quiet suburban town, with the scene ending with a floor covered in blood. We shoot back three months where Mich (Craig Welzbacher) and Jen (Sarah Prikryl) have just moved into their new town home – complete with a huge ass swimming pool, a hot tub… and rats. Well we only see one rat, so lets assume there's more. Come to think of it, there's always the one rat... could there be more? Ah well. Also moving in with the duo is Mich's best friend Danny (Matt Lusk), who's there to help keep cost down until Mich and Jen can get settled, financially. Conditions change when Danny starts dating a girl he met online named Blaire (Mayra Leal). From there you can tell things aren't gonna to go so well, especially when you have a hot, young piece like Blaire traipsing around the house in her tight, ruffled, panties showin off DAT ASS.
And you'd be right to say that. With her and Danny having all the sex around the house and Mich getting nil, tensions start to rise. So much so that Mich starts mouthin off to Danny, who up and moves out with Blaire. But Blaire doesn't want the apartment life, she wants back in with Mich (total infatuation if you will), killing Danny for even suggesting they move into an apartment (or condo). And it's at the funeral where it's revealed that Blaire has something of a spotted past.
Mich feels sorry for Blaire and allows her to move in with him and Jen; of course Jen isn't all about that. And tempers really rise when she sees Mich and Blaire starting to get closer. To round this up, Blaire kills an investigator, nearly kills Mich, and has it out blow for blow with Jen.
But if you really wanna see something spectacular, just jump ahead… forget that, just check out the pic below and when you're done, head on over to the TOV Breakdown, where I work this film over a bit.
The Good:
Playing House isn't perfect, but considering this is a first film for many a people, I'd say everyone did a banged up job. The story is seriously paint by the numbers suspense-thriller but that isn't always a bad thing – it's definitely reminiscent of popular 80's film "Fatal Attraction", there's even the death of beloved pet less the boiling. The level of suspense isn't edge of your seat, but the film won't bore you; definitely some edginess there. The pacing is a bit slow, but the story still flows and I think what helps move things along is the strong acting. I'm in love with Sarah Prikryl, who looks so much like Diane Lane that I almost… did some stuff… ahem! Anyway, props also go out to Craig Welzbacher and Matt Lusk; not the best acting, but strong enough to keep things moving. However I think most guys won't care so much if Mayra Leal is a good actor or not; they'll mostly wonder when DAT ASS is gonna appear on screen again. I just wanna bury my face in it!! That's right I said it. Mayra Leal is a definite PerfectView specimen.
The Bad (End Spoiler ahead):
It's mostly nitpicking and I've made mention of some of the bad points above, such as the slow pacing and not a great level of suspense. But there was one scene that pissed me off: Just after Mich and Blaire have a little romp in the shower, Mich rejects Blaire mid-coitus and goes out for a smoke. Blaire follows, stabs and then proceeds to drown Mich. Later Jen kicks Blaire's ass and runs for Mich, pulling him out of the water… and Mich is alive! Wait, what? So stabbing + drowning + being in the water face down for a good few minutes + NO CPR = HE'S ALIVE!!! The fuck is this shit??
The Ugly:
N/A
Playing House is the kind of film that takes some time to get into, but with strong acting and a decent level of suspense, makes this pill that much easier to swallow. Also having Mayra Leal showin off DAT ASS doesn't hurt much either. So out of TOV 5 stars, I'm giving Playing House a 3 and it's been Valkor Viewed, TOV Approved!
