The Toe Tactic

The feature film debut of writer/director/animator Emily Hubley—best known for her inventive short films—the NYC-set The Toe Tactic follows a young woman named Mona Peek (Lily Rabe), who is struggling to come to grips with her father's death. A visit to her childhood home stirs up a mix of emotions, but her attempt to reconcile with a tumultuous domestic past is interrupted with contemporary distractions featuring a number of too-colorful characters (including Mary Kay Place as her mother and John Sayles as her landlord), as well as a possible romance with an elevator operator (Daniel London). The creative twist here lies in the fusion of live-action and animation as a series of cartoon characters (voiced by Eli Wallach, Andrea Martin, and theater legend Marian Seldes, among others) comment on the action throughout the film. While Hubley clearly wants to make a statement about loneliness in an overpopulated metropolis, The Toe Tactic suffers mightily from what appears to be the cinematic equivalent of ADD, veering wildly between the solemn and the twee, while the animated characters ultimately feel more gimmicky than innovative. A confusing, often maddening exercise, this is not a necessary purchase. [Note: DVD extras include three earlier short films by Hubley (offering a stronger presentation of her considerable talents), as well as deleted scenes, animatic storyboards, and a stills gallery. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing film.] (P. Hall)