Posts tagged james marsden

A Different Day

24th DAY

USA, 2004
Director: Tony Piccirillo
Stars: James Marsden, Scott Speedman

Available on DVD - order here

Twenty-four days after he’s learned of his HIV seroconversion, Tom (Scott Speedman) tracks down Dan (James Marsden), who he believes infected him. Tom takes Dan home, handcuffs him to a chair and withdraws some of Dan’s blood. Tom plans to test the blood sample and if it comes back positive, kill Dan.

The highly-strung 24th Day began life as a Los Angeles stage play, with Noah Wyle from television’s “E.R.” playing one of the lead roles. The stage origins are fairly apparent, as ninety percent of the action - almost all of which is spittle-spray dialogue between the two actors - takes place within the four-walled set of Tom’s shadowy apartment.

The static, stagey Death and the Maiden template isn’t a very good basis for any film and here it’s made worse by very safe script choices and a most unwelcome series of lectures on safe sex and discrimination.