Love on the Side

REVIEW
Filmed by experienced, Indian-born, Canada-based Vic Sarin, Love on the Side is a sweet little romantic comedy starring Marla Sokoloff as Eve Stuckley, living and waitressing in Squamish, British Columbia. Eve has a slight weight problem that has saddled her with an inferiority complex and keeps her from expressing herself to life-long crush, Jeff Sweeney (Barry Watson). When Linda (Monika Schnarre) blows into town, scouting for commercial property, she falls a little for Eve and sets off a chain of events with comic and bittersweet consequences. Jennifer Tilly and Dave Thomas are onboard to accent the screenplay with off-color sex jokes. The problem with little, independent films are that sometimes the budget doesn’t allow for story and character development beyond the rudiments that are necessary for any narrative drive. This film suffers from it as the audience is dumped into the middle of nowhere and is expected to care about these characters. To the actors credit, interest is held, wondering if the woman will get Eve or the super hunk. Also, in its favor is the subtext of gay identity; the script tries to delve into Linda, how she feels, dealing with preconceptions about sexuality, etc. Our cast ponders societal stereotypes and their places in the big world while gazing at the beautiful vistas of Vancouver. Taken as a whole, Love on the Side provides the viewer with a pleasant, nonthreatening ninety plus minutes.