Love makes a person do crazy things. This saying has been true since the day it was first uttered, but it is hard to imagine anyone going as far for the person they love as a man named Clarence (Justin Dobies) does in Eric England’s Get The Girl. For Clarence, there is no limit to what he will do to earn the admiration of the girl he loves, even if that means breaking a few laws and shattering his own moral compass.
Alexandra (Elizabeth Whitson) is a bartender in the kind of bar where the name doesn’t matter and average customers can go visit for months, if not years on end without being considered a regular by the staff. We know this because Clarence has been visiting Alexandra’s bar for years, but he has never found the courage to tell Alexandra how he really feels. The only time he ever speaks to her is when ordering a drink, and even then he stumbles over his words. In other situations Clarence may be the smartest man in a room, but when it comes to Alexandra, he’s a fool.
This is where Patrick (Noah Segan) comes into the picture. Patrick is a smooth talker whose very appearance will make the conservative crowd reach for their pearls. There is never any question whether or not Patrick has gotten his hands dirty in the past, but even he has to think twice when Clarence, a complete stranger, makes him an unusual offer.
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Clarence wants to win the attention of Alexandra at any cost. Patrick agrees to help him in exchange for several thousand dollars and the ability to bring his own team into the mix. His plan involves kidnapping Alexandra and taking her to a mansion as a hostage. Just when she feels all hope is lost, Clarence will swoop in and save the day. The only problem is, not everyone follows the plan.
Dobies is a fine leading man with an ability to make you empathize with him in a mess that is entirely his own creation, but the real standout on screen is Segan. No stranger to the world of devilishly clever thrillers, Segan brings a cool, yet ominous presence to the film that sticks with you like glue. His talent has been developing in front of TV and indie film fans’ eyes for essentially two decades, but over the last five or six years he has really come into his own.
England has already made a name for himself in the world of horror, but Get The Girl is another monster altogether. This film plays like a thriller that isn’t afraid to have a little fun with its premise. There is more humor than any other film in the writer-director’s catalog, and far more heart. As misguided as Clarence’s plan may be, his motivations stem from a place that feels real and true thanks to a smart script that keeps many of its best surprises under wraps until the story is more than half over.
They don’t make many movies like Get The Girl anymore. Don’t let this film pass you by because you will regret it. Come for the performances, stay for the surprises.
