The Delicate Art of Parking

Have you ever wondered if parking enforcers had the ability to uphold the law, make an arrest or any of the other responsibilities that police officers have? According to unsuccessful documentary filmmaker Lonny Goosen (Dov Tiefenbach), they're nothing more than "tax collectors" and he's fed up with them placing countless tickets on his windshield. After his car is impounded, Lonny decides that he'll expose just how low and spineless parking enforcers are, and for a while it seems there might be an interesting film on our hands, exploring thought-provoking subject matter. Lonny's mission to document his enemy starts to backfire though when he's introduced to Grant Parker (Fred Ewanuick), who is highly dedicated to his job of making sure everyone obeys the laws of parking, even if it means pulling out a tape measure to check the distance between the curb and vehicle. Parker is so pitiful and lonely that trying to convince him that the only thing that matters in his life is a giant thorn in the public's side is a difficult task, and one that Lonny can't bear to carry out. There are some genuinely amusing moments, but at times this mockumentary reaches moments of discomfort and completely loses the thread as it tries to bring in some sort of conspiracy plot that involves phasing out parking enforcers for automated metres. Grant's tow trucking friend Jerome (Tony Conte) is the only character worth warming up to, and in a faux documentary, you need to have favourable feelings for most of the cast. It doesn't help that Lonny is a complete ass and his hatred for parking tickets is unjustified, as he simply doesn't obey the road's rules. The DVD is sparse and includes improvised takes of certain scenes, which you don't need to see, as unscripted interactions that made the final cut are usually the best, and watching the actors try to hit different angles is awkward. We do get to see the "Taking It To the Streets" instructional video in its entirety, but again the amount shown in the actual film is all you need of this joke. A somewhat disappointing film and DVD release, but compared to a lot of Canadian offerings, this is one of the better ones of late. Probably because it's not based around hockey or curling. Plus: commentary, blooper reel, more. (Lions Gate)