Review of Venus on the Halfshell

Jackie ( Monica Serene Garnich) works as a park ranger out west. One day, a handsome biker, Hendrix O'Hara (Jonathan Aube) drives up the winding highway in her territory and "falls" off the cliff. Naturally, Jackie saves his life and Hendrix promptly "falls" for Jackie. A marriage ceremony follows very quickly. But, oh, now the secrets come out! First, Hendrix was married, thricely, to the same woman, before he took the plunge this time. Then, he has a son, Brandon, who comes to live with the newlyweds. Also, Hendrix swears that he makes a good living, painting modern versions of classics, like his personal favorite, Botticelli's Venus on the Halfshell. However, when checks for painting sales fail to arrive, the couple begin moving to one poor residence after another as they income gets tight and the have legal bills to pay as well. Long story. Finally, when Jackie saves Brandon from his own "fall" down a mountain, she appears on television and HER never-do-well father comes to live with them, too. Can Jackie really take all these insane new changes in her life? This small, independent film was, nevertheless, a fine watch. First, the cast is quite good and Aube is one great-looking guy. Then, the script is very clever and funny, with sharp observations about life on the "poor" side of town. Finally, the western scenery is absolutely lovely and there is plenty of it. If you stumble upon this film in the discount bin, as I did, take a chance. You might be surprised at how engaging an unheralded movie can be, one made with, most likely, a half of one percent of those big blockbusters out there.