During one lunchtime at an offbeat coffee house, the relationships of the quirky staff and several couples are turned upside down by the sudden revelations of supremely embarrassing secrets ... Read allDuring one lunchtime at an offbeat coffee house, the relationships of the quirky staff and several couples are turned upside down by the sudden revelations of supremely embarrassing secrets about to their sexual behavior - and misbehavior.During one lunchtime at an offbeat coffee house, the relationships of the quirky staff and several couples are turned upside down by the sudden revelations of supremely embarrassing secrets about to their sexual behavior - and misbehavior.
- Annoying Lady
- (as Paula Jane Newman)
- Tarty Girl #1
- (as Nikki Collins)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
There is a reason why nearly everyone who's commented on the film makes reference to the bad British accents put on by the American actors, most notably Mena Suvari and Mark Pellegrino. What's truly frightening is that the IMDb references the latter as an acting teacher and his performance is the most over-the-top in a film full of forced situations and performances. And this includes Callum Blue who, while adorable, is playing his Mason from "Dead Like Me," which probably would've fine if he'd been given better lines (and situations).
Surprisingly, the most spot-on accent is done by one of the lesser-known actors, actor Mike Vogel (who Dean on "Grounded for Life"). Katherine Heigl's accent is actually not bad (and certainly far superior to Suvari's and Pellegrino's). Roz Witt's, too, is terrible. It was quite smart of Breckin Meyer to just be American.
It's the film's weakest element -- the idea of insisting it be set in a London restaurant, when it could be set anywhere, especially where the weaker American actors could focus on their performances rather than a wobbly accent. Repeatedly throwing in a "bloody," "shag," "knickers," "shat," or "fancy," just isn't enough to effectively establish this as London.
From the opening scene, it's obvious that this was filmed in Los Angeles. Every outdoor shot has the same two old-school Brit Taxi and Double Decker bus passing back and forth. All three vehicles are preserved like they've been borrowed from the Petersen (Car) Museum.
Ah, here's what you could say to Craig -- his actors are very attractive.
The plot is all about the crossed talks between the costumers and also the employees of the coffee shop and all type of hilarious and absurd situations happens! From the girl who broke up with her boyfriend because he had a threesome with two identical twin girls to the crazy old lady who is shooting a gun inside the bar!! Not to mention the story of the guy who dresses with his wife's underwear
Well there are a lot of crazy stories in this film It just proves one more time that each person is a book full of chapters and that everyone has his little secret written in one of those chapters I appreciated this movie especially because of that and also because it crosses many characters, stories, funny and crazy moments in a simple and unpretentious way.
The cast is good and includes some known actors like Mena Suvari. It was nice to seeing her "practicing" her British accent I enjoyed this film and I score it 7/10.
Many have compared this film to "Waiting". I think this film focuses more on interpersonal relationships and emotional aspects following shocking revelations. It could have been a great film exploring such issues. However, the story is not so well written. There is too much jumping about from one character to another, making it slightly hard to follow, and decreases to coherence of the plot. It is not so much a comedy, as there are few funny moments. If it was not marketed as a comedy, then there would have been less disappointment.
Now on to the movie. Like many good Brit comedies, the overall plot isn't as important as the witty criss-crossing of subplots. Like a clever stage play, that and some good acting is all you need. The whole story is set in a restaurant: the dining room, kitchen, and back balcony. Basically it's "a day in the life" of a bunch of oddball characters working and dining in a cafe.
The stories revolve mostly around romantic/sexual relationships and the absurd situations they create. Like a good Shakespearean romp... or the 70s sitcom "Three's Company", all the mayhem is the result of misunderstandings, awkwardness and overreactions. The film starts out somewhat tame, but as it progresses and we get to know each character, they seem to become increasingly insane. One of my fave segments was the meek vegetarian girl who was subjected to an excruciating blind date with a gun-toting macho man. By the time the movie is near its end, anything goes.
If you like dialogue-driven films that feel like plays, such as "Death at a Funeral" (original version 2007), "Le dîner de cons" (original version 1998), "My Tiny Universe" (2004), "Deathtrap" (1982) or even the classic "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" (1966), I think this movie will be worth your time.
Did you know
- TriviaDespite the characters being British, a majority of the actors are American.
- GoofsWhen Laura (Katherine Heigl) gets a table, she hangs her purse over the back of the chair before she sits down. After she sits, we see her hang her purse over the back of the chair again.
- Quotes
Annoying Lady: Don't we get any cake? Who has coffee without cake?
Dylan: I don't know... skinny people!
- ConnectionsReferences The Sound of Music (1965)
- How long is Caffeine?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $5,000,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 32 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1