When the studio shelves finished film for few years before having it released, it usually isn’t a good sign. But, on occasions, such films aren’t bad or, at least, not as bad as such practice would suggest. An example could be found in New Best Friend, 2002 drama directed by Zoe Clarke-Williams, originally produced in 1999 and released three years later.
Plot begins shortly after Artie Bonner (played by Taye Diggs) became sheriff in North Carolina town. His first important investigation involves Colby University, a prestigious institution which happens to be under his jurisdiction. Alicia Campbell (played by Mia Kirshner), one of the students, has suffered near-fatal drug overdose and ended in coma. Although being encouraged to pronounce the event as unfortunate accident and thus spare university from embarrassing scandal, Bonner is determined to find the truth. Through flashbacks plot goes a year earlier, when Glazer, mousy girl from modest background, was worlds away from Hadley Ashton (played by Meredith Monroe), Sidney Barett (played by Dominique Swain) and Julianne Livingston (played by Rachel True), three girls from rich background who are the most desirable female student from campus. Their fates intersect when Alicia and Hadley are paired in sociology project and, as a result, Alicia begins to hang out with the rest of the clique. She gradually begins to adopt their lifestyle revolved around drugs and alcohol and begins to take advantage of their friends. As investigation continues, Bonner begins to wonder whether the overdose was accident or not.
Zoe Clarke-Williams, whose filmography included relatively obscure low budget films, has secured more than decent cast for New Best Friend. Title role was played by Mia Kirshner, Canadian star of Atom Egoyan’s Exotica, and she was accompanied by Dominique Swain, star of Adrian Lyne’s Lolita and Meredith Monroe, star of popular TV series Dawson’s Creek. Such talents, however, had to contend with rather uninspired script by Victoria Strouse. Thankfully, Zoe Clarke-Williams found some ways to make her film look a little bit interesting by visual tricks. Cast also did a decent job. But, what is even more important, Zoe Clarke-Williams didn’t hide the fact that mystery plot and social commentary served as nothing more than an excuse for exploitative content revolving around drugs, sex and various hedonistic excesses. She took great pains to show protagonists in most of the scenes scantily clad (in some cases even naked), which was certain to please at least male part of the audience. With hour and half of running time, this mission was achieved and New Best Friend, although hardly a classic, could be recommended to viewers nostalgic for old school exploitation cinema.
RATING: 5/10 (++)
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