WHO’S YER FATHER? 3 STARS. “like an East Coast Kitchen Party in tone.”
“Who’s Yer Father,” a new comedy hailing from P.E.I. and now playing in theatres, is a comedy caper film, but underneath the crime and slapstick is a romantic beating heart.
Larry Constable (Chris Locke) is P.E.I.’s only PI. After a week of training, he hangs out his shingle, cornering the market on the small island. “Larry Constable on the case,” he sings. “I’m showing up at your place.”
He gets the gig of his life when seafood magnate Luke Thorne (Matt Wells) hires the guileless PI to look into black-market lobster sales that are taking a piece of his business in the tiny village of Sandbar Cove. “What I need you to do is find out who is buying the lobster,” Thorne says.
During his investigation, he meets plucky convenience store clerk Rhonda (Susan Kent). She has a way with a phrase—”This is getting dirty enough to grow potatoes in,” she says at one point.—and a willingness to help Larry. But when their stakeout reveals that Thorne’s wife Nicole (Kaniehtiio Horn) is having an affair, they decide to blackmail her—“It’s not blackmail,” Rhonda says, “it’s more like manifesting.”—and run away to a happily-ever-after with the cash.
Distracted by the burgeoning love affair with Rhonda, Larry allows the situation to spiral out of control.
“Who’s Yer Father”—the name comes from Maritime shorthand, a way to quickly figure out family and friend connections in close knit communities—is an unapologetically silly movie that feels like an East Coast Kitchen Party in tone, loose, fun with delicious seafood chowder (courtesy of Rhonda’s secret recipe).
Larry is a classic comedy character, a hapless guy, in over his head, but Locke makes sure there’s a sweetness to him as well. That goes a long way to keeping us onside with Larry and Rhonda as their blackmail scheme goes awry.
Kent plays Rhonda as a sharp-tongued troublemaker, the romantic interest who leads Larry on the movie’s central, hairbrained plan. She’s having fun, and Rhonda, with her downhome sayings and chowder recipe, would be a hoot to hang with.
Fun performances make “Who’s Yer Father?” crowd pleasing hokum, a mostly good time, but like a lot of parties, even ones with laughs and good food, it goes on a bit too long.
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