2B Perfectly Honest

Color, NR (mature themes, language, drug use), 88 min., PPV 60 days, DVD $24.95, VHS $39.95

DVD: actor interviews, behind-the-scenes featurette

Street: May 24, Prebook: May 2

First Run: Video premiere

Cast: Adam Trese (40 Days and 40 Nights), Andrew McCarthy (TV's Kingdom Hospital), John Turturro (Secret Window), Michael Badalucco (O Brother, Where Art Thou?)

MONARCH

When his ad agency folds, ambitious young businessman Frank Costello (Trese) moves back in with his parents and tries to develop a new concept. He finally comes up with a dot-com scheme, but the new venture is complicated by his wacky partner (McCarthy) and an eccentric investor (Badalucco). Despite solid production values and the thoroughly competent work of its professional cast, Honest is far from B-ing perfect. Writer/director Cole has taken a serviceable idea and made it unnecessarily complicated. His story-within-a-story narrative (necessitating multiple characterizations from the principal players) becomes confusing, and some viewers are bound to be annoyed by the corny "it was all a dream" denouement. Some too might quibble about the use of a get-rich-quick Internet venture as the basis for Cole's plot machinations. The tech bubble burst a long time ago, and Frank's big plan involving Web boards comes across as old hat. Still, there's that cast of players, which remains the film's strongest asset. Promoting these familiar names will provide your best shot at guaranteeing decent returns.

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