Rachel Wilson and Dylan Bruce on the set of ‘First Round Down’.
One of the early scenes in the low-budget Canadian heist comedy First Round Down involves public urination and a police detective.
We know the guy's a gumshoe because he ridiculously wears a fedora and a trench coat. Is this period film? No. Is it a spoof? No, but it sometimes feels that way. Mostly, the film seems like an excuse for writer-directors Brett Butler and Jason Butler to cram more Cancon rock into 96 minutes than even MuchMusic ever thought possible. (Mind you, fans of Junkhouse, Sloan and Stompin' Tom Connors will have reason to raise a glass or two of Molson Golden.)
What we have is a hometown former junior-hockey hero returning to town a decade after his glory days in humbled, pizza-delivery-guy form. The story, involving an old girlfriend, a hockey reunion and easy-pickings bags of money, is flawed by a couple of questionable plot details. There's a nice twist midway through, but the film never quite comes together.
Stompin' Tom keeps telling us about the "best game we can name," but this darkish hockey-happy romp simply shoots too wide.
Brad Wheeler