Klepto Movie Review

Now here's a funny idea: Kleptomaniac teen and shopping mall security guard fall in love and have a grand adventure.

Cute premise, and Klepto is indeed plenty charming... but ultimately it becomes too serious for its own good, forgetting that it's basically, you know, a love story between a kleptomaniac (and otherwise troubled) teen and shopping mall security guard that is better played for ironic laughs.

As our theft-happy pal Emily, Meredith Bishop all but steals the show. She's at once Gothy and fresh-faced, and she plays the tormented teenager with gusto. Her counterpart, Jsu Garcia, is somewhat less well-suited for the role, but he also does reasonable work in the face of a script that shows the occasional burst of genius amidst an otherwise basic plot that has Garcia's Nick turning to crime in order to finance his own business startup.

This is interesting indie filmmaking from a first-time director. It's got a fun premise and a good energy level, and the sun-drenched look may have been done before, but it looks right here. Give it a spin as a rental.