“Guy walks into a bar,” intones Kelly, the narrator and starlet of “Flesh Wounds.” One would think there’s a joke forthcoming, but no. Instead we’re introduced to Kelly’s boyfriend, Mark.
The guy walking into the bar is Mark’s friend, who informs him that his girlfriend is cheating on him at a local hotel. Mark bursts into their hotel room, gives Kelly an off screen sock in the eye, and shoots her paramour, Eddie, in the shoulder.
The next day, Eddie, arm in a sling but not in police custody over his bullet wound and apparently in good enough shape to drive, picks up a gun, picks up Kelly, and starts cruising around town. They stop at a diner, only to be kicked out as Kelly learns Eddie is a much better bed-buddy than a conversationalist. Later, Eddie and Kelly nearly are taken into custody by a police officer, who is being followed by a camera crew from “Cops.” (Gushes Eddie – “When is this going to be on?”)
“Flesh Wounds” proudly sets itself up as the kind of film that’s willing to pose questions without answering them, and for about ten minutes out of the twenty-five, it really works. There are a couple of interesting revelations about the relationship between Eddie and Mark, and a couple of equally important reveals about guns that may or may not function once their triggers have been pulled.
Kelly, unfortunately, proves too much of a puzzle to crack. Why she’s with Mark is a mystery, and her reasons for her tryst with Eddie are even more opaque. As the film wears on, several minutes are dedicated to Mark blowing up at his friends over the fact that he may get busted for shooting Eddie, a subplot which simply isn’t necessary as it has no payoff. The “Cops” sequence, while funny, also is wildly out of step with the rest of the film.
Somewhere in here are two films that could have been quite good – a comedy about people dumb enough to sign release forms and end up on “Cops,” and a moody piece with a couple of nice twists. Unfortunately, we’re stuck with a circus peanuts in sauerkraut mixture that cancels out some good performances.
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