Love for Rent

Reviewer: James van Maanen
Rating (out of 5): ***

Looking for a gratifying romantic comedy that will do the trick without making you feel stupid for enjoying it? Try Love for Rent. Combining immigration, aspiration, surrogate child-bearing, foster parenting, parenting your parents and - oh, yes - love (all these themes, by the way, are handled with surprising kindness), this sweet little time-waster should leave you with a smile on your face and that warm gut feeling that says, "It worked." This is thanks to a first-rate cast of mostly lesser-known or second-rung performers who consistently ring the bell.

Columbian TV and film actress Angie Cepeda, probably best known for her work in Pantaleon y las Visitadoras, offers a terrific combination of looks, charm, wit and excellent spoken-English and so wins us (and her leading man) over in a heartbeat. That man, Ken Marino, is equally full of charm and wit, plus a low-key sex appeal that makes this twosome seem made for each other. Their first scene on the phone is so cleverly written (the script is by Andrew Miles from a story by Bryan D. Young), directed and performed that it's near-classic. Director Shane Edelman has much more experience as an actor than director, but he comes through like a pro, especially in obtaining spot-on performances from the entire cast, which includes Jim Piddock and former SNL comedienne Nora Dunn as a middle-aged couple in need of something special; and Max Burkholder, a child actor graced with a great face and even better composure.

So far as I can tell, this movie never got a release outside of a festival appearance or two (it won the audience award at the 2005 NY Latino Festival) but is now airing on HBO, which released the DVD. Despite its not particularly apt title, Love for Rent absolutely qualifies as a "sleeper" - and one that I wager will gain a happy following, once word gets around.