Filmed Locally Loitering with Intent

LEEDS — Loitering with Intent is a 2014 independent comedy/drama directed by Adam Rapp, written by and starring Ivan Martin and Michael Godere as Raphael and Dominic, two struggling actors in New York City who make ends meet by working at a local bar. Dominic, the more ambitious of the duo, is far more frustrated with their station in life than Raphael, and a chance encounter with their friend Kaplan (a brief but welcome appearance by Natasha Lyonne) sets the trajectory for the rest of the film. Kaplan informs them her boss is looking to finance a cheap film as a tax write-off. Desperate and smelling an opportunity, Dominic tells Kaplan that they’ve got a great noir script that is just about ready to go with only a few tweaks needed. Kaplan gives them ten days to get her the script before the money goes away. They, of course, have no such script. Needing to get to work, they pack up and head to Domnic’s sister’s house in the country for a writer’s retreat. The rest of the film takes place in “the country” and is shot entirely on location in Leeds. 

The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2014 and was released for video-on-demand later that year on December 16th before a brief theatrical run in January 2015. It received mediocre reviews, with film critic Susan Wloszczyna giving it 2.5 stars on a curve because it was better than most of the other films released that January (traditionally a notorious wasteland for theatrical releases). But on the tenth anniversary of its release, I think it’s worth reevaluating Loitering with Intent. Is it a masterpiece? No. There is plenty of room for some better-written dialogue and a better angle on a shot or two. But this is a fun, character-driven movie of an ilk that seems to have been in abundance ten years ago. It clocks in at only eighty minutes, and that’s just about the right length. Most of the film takes place at a home in Leeds where Dominic and Raphael retreat for some quiet to generate the non-existent script. Enter a cast of characters that persistently undermine the duo’s best efforts. First, there is Ava, played by Isabelle McNally, the alluring young friend of Dominic’s sister, who stays on the property in a camper. Then there is Dominic’s sister, Gigi, played by Marisa Tomei, a mixed-up woman with an overflowing heart (and former girlfriend of Raphael). Her lover, Wayne, has taken off, and we only him discussed until he shows up unannounced one day with his just-dumb-enough-to-be-dangerous surfer dude brother (Brian Geraghty).

Sam Rockwell gives a nuanced performance as Wayne, a war vet working to overcome his PTSD. He cuts an intimidating figure with his arrival, an arrival driven by his desire to work things out with Gigi. He often destabilizes others by making them uneasy and giving them just enough room to incriminate themselves (if you’ve ever been in the presence of someone with this trait, you’ll recognize it immediately). Take note of the two actors I just mentioned. Rockwell and Tomei are Oscar winners, and both are in the Marvel Universe. Both seem to enjoy the roles offered to them in this smaller film; despite being endlessly magnetic and the more accomplished of the cast, they never overtake the scenery. Instead, they generously leave plenty of room for everyone in the cast. One gets the sense that neither Tomei nor Rockwell are the type to take their jobs for granted, and watching them play off of one another here is a bit of a treat. But that’s not to imply that they save the film. I’ve seen Rockwell in a movie far worse than this, and despite welcoming every moment he was on screen, I still remember that one as a stinker. That said, it certainly didn’t hurt to have them show up so game for the roles, and their presence undoubtedly elevates Loitering with Intent.

If Loitering with Intent had been stretched out for another ten minutes, there may have been diminished returns. The film sometimes feels shaky, and if they had tried to fly a bit higher, the whole thing may have crashed. Ultimately, it’s a grounded, small film about people intersecting at a moment when life is sending them in unexpected directions, and the curtain falls at just the right time. Is it a masterpiece? Of course not. But it’s a flawed film that I will remember fondly. Loitering with Intent is currently streaming on Kanopy, a free service that requires only a participating library card to access.