The Guitar

Imagine losing your job, getting dumped by your significant other, and being diagnosed with inoperable cancer—all in the same day. That's the fate befalling beautiful urbanite Melody (Saffron Burrows) in this somewhat self-consciously arty reworking of The Bucket List. Given just a month or two to live, newly-liberated free spirit Melody decides not to waste a minute, promptly embarking on a spending spree and maxing out credit cards that she will never have to repay. Melody is determined to experience as much as she can with her limited time, not only bedding a hunky furniture mover (Isaak de Bankolé), but also a cute pizza delivery girl (Paz de la Huerta), more than once…and even both at the same time. The film's title refers to Melody's prized possession, a vintage red Stratocaster, and her playing of same is used to express the wide range of emotions Melody feels as her life draws to a close. Directed by actress Amy Redford (Robert's daughter), The Guitar is ultimately a rather facile female-empowerment fantasy with a somewhat improbable happy ending that seems like an afterthought, but Burrows' agile performance does give the film some depth. Optional. (E. Hulse)